TNAG-0302-FCO40-338-Effects-of-tariffs-on-imports-of-cotton-textiles-to-UK-from--1971 — Page 120

less than demand on home production of woven cotton cloth perhaps

protected to some extent by the continuing trend from increasingly

expensive cotton to man-made fibres. The situation on this front is

therefore at present somewhat different from that on imports of woven

cotton textiles (although some new problems for the future are

anticipated in the next section of this submission).

7. A further factor affecting the woven cloth industry is the trend

towards greater use of knitted fabrics, which has proceeded at a

faster rate over the past few years than was forecast in the Textile

Council's Report. There has been a marked rise in imports of knitted

fabrics and knitted garments this year. The trend towards greater

use of knitted fabrics and garments is, however, one which reflects

developments in technology and consumer demand, it is one against which

the Lancashire weaving industry cannot be protected without affecting

the UK's competitiveness in the more advanced sectors of the industry.

Indeed any protection designed to reduce this swing would distort the

growth pattern of our textile industry as a whole.

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8. Imports of cotton and spun mmf yarn have increased in 1971 but they

still represent only 8.6% of estimated consumption of spun yarns.

Concern in the spinning industry is therefore linked more to the trends

in home production in the weaving industry than to a particular problem

on yarn imports. From time to time complaints are made about the prices

of imported spun yarns, but so far these have been insufficiently

substantiated to warrant an anti-dumping investigation.

9. To sum up, the industry is suffering from a substantial decrease in

home demand on production of woven cloth, particularly cotton cloth,

which has accompanied a substantial increase in imports. Some increase

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