TNAG-0302-FCO40-338-Effects-of-tariffs-on-imports-of-cotton-textiles-to-UK-from--1971 — Page 146

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CONFIDENTIAL

(a) A major defect of the Government's policy

was that the change in treatment of imports

was to occur when the industry had yet to

fully implement the Study's recommendations

and was still in a state of flux; even so they

recognised that we could not turn the clock back

on tariffs;

(b) mill closures were taking place (now) twice

as fast as forecast by the Textile Council;

(c) they were particularly worried about imports

of knitted garments.

12. What action do British Industry expect the

Government to take.

The BTEA asked the Government to take the

following measures:-

(i) to use the provisions of the GATT to

prevent dumping;

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(ii) to give urgent consideration to BTEA's

earlier demands for a more detailed categorisa-

tion of textile imports;

(iii) to "reactivate" the Imports Commission;

(iv) to do what it could do to encourage Gov-

ernment agencies to "buy British";

(v) to prevent the lapse in September 1973 of

the GATT Long Term Arrangement;

(vi) to provide for the continuation of the need

for foreign made-up textiles to show their

country of origin;

(vii) there should be consideration of an

import surcharge to tide the industry over its

current crisis.

5 CONFIDENTIAL

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