TNAG-0244-FCO40-280-Exports-of-textiles-from-Hong-Kong-to-USA-1970 — Page 94

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34.

Mr. Nehmer said the U.S. Government had an attitude

to the U.S. textile industry different from that of the U.K.

Government to the U.K. industry in many respects.

35.

Mr. Jones harking back to Mr. Nehmer's point that

m.m.f. imports had for the first time exceeded cotton imports

remarked that the only conclusion that could be drawn from this

was that m.m.f. textiles were now in greater demand than cotton

textiles. No inference could be drawn that because one was

greater than the other there was therefore injury.

36.

Mr. Nehmer responded by giving some statistics

relating to consumption ratios. At the time the L.T.A.

was.negotiated, the ratio was approximately 60/30 for cotton

and man made fibre textiles; in 1968 the ratio was 42/54.

The significant feature of the switch to man made fibre textiles

was that imports of these went unregulated. The international

arrangement covered only the declining cotton sector.

37.

With regard to paragraph 6 of the H.K. Government's

Note, Mr. Nehmer said that he would invite Mr. Blackman

to speak on employment. He would confine his remarks

to saying that since January 1969 some 33,000 jobs had

been lost in the textile and apparel industry in the

United States.

/38.

CONFIDENTIAL