TNAG-0304-FCO40-340-Effects-of-tariffs-on-imports-of-cotton-textiles-to-UK-from--1971 — Page 18

South China Morning lost

6/0/71

F

Textiles shock

(Contd from Page 1)

"If the British Government should persist in re-introducing quotas in 1972, we demand the corresponding withdrawal of the new Commonwealth preference tariff.

"If it is the British Government's intention to treat Hongkong fairly and reasonably, she should be consistent in her decisions, and accept our request.”

The associations noted that on assuming the office of the Governor, Sir Murray MacLehose, stated that

he would do everything he could to ensure economic growth and expansion to continue.

"We hope the Governor would remove this plight of the textile industry. In this connection, we also note that the Financial Secretary and the Deputy Director of Commerce and Industry had flown to London for consultations, and we wish that they would successfully reject the inconsiderate. unreasonable measures taken by the British government."

**

A Government spokesman said last night: "At present there is no tariff on any cotton textiles exported from Hongkong to the United Kingdom. The proposal made by

Her

Majesty's Government in July 1969 was to replace the present system of quotas with a tariff on woven cotton textiles as from January 1, 1972.

*

"On November 29, Mr Grant. a Minister in the Department of Trade and Industry during a debate on the Britain's textile industry said in Parliament: 'The Government are considering, in the light of the employment situation and recent international development in the textile trade, whether there is any need for further action at the present time in relation to the industry”.”