TNAG-0301-FCO40-337-Effects-of-tariffs-on-imports-of-cotton-textiles-to-UK-from--1971 — Page 125

CODE 18.77

decision by us by 18 March in time for the next meeting of the Textiles Advisory Board.

9. I might add that I find two of Mr Ridley's statements somewhat misleading and correct only in a very restricted sense. He says that if we apply the duty to all imports after 1 January 1972 but simultaneously remove import licensing control, goods shipped before the end of 1971 but not arriving until after 1 January 1972 "will be subject both to quota restriction and to the new tariff". This is true only if the countries concerned spread their shipments under the quota throughout the whole year and do not speed them up so as to get the whole lot in before the end of the year, and of course, the CT proposal simply aggravates this problem. Secondly, he says at the beginning of paragraph 4 that if we ceased import control on 1 January 1972 "we should be conniving at a breach of restrictions". There may be some breach of the spirit of the understanding if the exporting countries with country quotas ship all their year's quota in the first 9 or 10 months but hardly "a breach of restrictions". Mr Ridley himself admits later that they are fully entitled to speed up their shipments in this way.

"

+

сс Mr Carey

CT

Mr Ridley

CT

-

-

Mr Kemmis

CR1

Mr Toms

CR2

Miss Lackey

CR2

Mr McMeekin

CR4

Mr Sinclair

CR4

Mr Nicoll

GR5

Mr Magor

GR5

1

Mr Ware

Sols

Mr Whaley

T

Mr Bentliff

T

Mr Nieduszynski T

Mr Forward

T

Mr G S Welch

Mr H S Lindsey Mr Heath

Customs Customs

FCO

1

I

D P BREARLEY Tariff Division 12 March 1971