ie. Hk.
Laina
Pok.
←
follow the expiry of the LTA in September 1973.
10
This presents us with an awkward dilemma particularly
as we shall be introducing in November an affirmative resolution to impose a tariff on Commonwealth imports and
this will be bound to give rise to a debate in the House.
If we accept that these Article 4 agreements will apply.
subject to renegotiation of the quantities involved
to us
J
i
we should be accepting that in 1973 restraints will have to
be reintroduced on imports from seven suppliers, including
three Commonwealth countries. If this happened we would
be bound to explain it during the debate and we should be
open to strong criticism on the following lines:
a) the Commonwealth countries concerned would
say that the tariff on their exports to us
after 1 January 1972 was to be imposed only
on the public assurance that, except in special
circumstances which have demonstrably not yet
arisen, there would be no quantitative
restrictions. We should be accused of a
breach of faith
b) these countries would argue that as compensation,
c)
particularly for a situation in 1973 where we
A
would be imposing a tariff and qr but unlike
the Community be offering no duty free quotas
we should allow some imports from them duty
free
indeed we would be seen to have been pressurised
into reversing within a year of its inception
a carefully considered import policy aimed at
establishing a cotton textile industry able
to stand on its own feet with only tariff
protection. In practice forestalling by importers
might well force us to re-impose qr sooner than this.
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