TNAG-0303-FCO40-339-Effects-of-tariffs-on-imports-of-cotton-textiles-to-UK-from--1971 — Page 11

AFFIRMATIVE RESOLUTION ON IMPORT DUTIES (GENERAL) (NO

ORDER 1971

PASSAGE FOR INCLUSION IN NOTES FOR SPEECH COTTON TEXTILES

We in the UK have long acted, and will continue to act, in·

pursuit of liberal international trade policies. But we have

to recognise at the same time that there are specially intractable

problems in certain areas, and we have to have regard to the

actions of the other members of the international trading

Community. It is with this in mind that I would now like to

deal with the second main purpose of this Order.

For reasons which we gave yesterday, the Government have decided

to retain in 1972 the present general system of quantitative

restrictions on imports of cotton textiles. Nevertheless, we are

still going ahead with tho tariff on imports of cotton yam and

woven cotton textiles imported from the Commonwealth Preference

Arca (other than the Irish Republic) from 1 January 1972. The

decision to introduce this tariff was announced by the then

1964 President of the Board of Trade on 22 July and endorsed by this

Λ Government after taking office. It followed a recommendation by

the industry's own Textile Council, after a two year Productivity

and Efficiency Study, that the tariff would offer a margin of

protection that was stable and predictable and would enable the

industry to plan ahead with confidence. We still regard the

tariff as a necessary long term form of protection for the

industry.