TNAG-0244-FCO40-280-Exports-of-textiles-from-Hong-Kong-to-USA-1970 — Page 81

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· 3-

above the level for the same period of 1968; but was this a

significant moderation?

Growth rates, naturally slackened as

the absolute totals grew larger. And compared with the 5%

growth rate enshrined in the C.T.A., the growth rates in

non-cottons were very large indeed. The point was that the

import/consumption ratio for man made fibres was now at the

level that cotton was when the L.T.A. was negotiated.

Comparing the first 8 months of 1968 with the same period

for 1969 imports had risen from 935 million square yards

to 1,191 million square yards. Within the man made fibre

family, the largest single group was apparel, imports of

which represented half of total m.m.f. imports and, at

620 million square yards, had increased by 74% in the first

5.

8 months of 1969 compared with the same period last year.

Mr. Blackman interposed to point out that

imports of man made fibre apparel had increased by 63%,

1967 over 1966, and now by another 74%; these increases

were in a particularly sensitive field as far as U.S.

labour was concerned since apparel products competed with

the labour intensive sector of the U.S. industry.

6.

In response to a question from Mr. Jordan,

Mr. Nehmer confirmed that mill consumption of fibres

was taken as the measure of production and that the

figures given for mill consumption and for imports

excluded imported fibres except for spun yarn and

filament yarn with twist.

/7.

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