37. Mr. Rostron Duckworthasked the President of the Board of Trade in view of the recent Japanese official reports that the volume of Japanese cotton-piece goods imported into India was larger in the year 1936 than that supplied by Lancashire, whether he can indicate the latest comparative statistics of imports of these goods from the two sources of supply; and whether the relative ratio disclosed is consistent with the proportionate purchase of Indian Products by Britain and Japan?
§ Dr. BurginThe latest figures of Indian trade available relate to the II months ended November, 1936. During that period imports of cotton piece-goods consigned from the United Kingdom amounted to 337,000,000 yards, valued at £5.4 million and from Japan to 431,000,000 yards, valued at £4.2 million. In the same period the value of exports of Indian merchandise to the United Kingdom was £38.4 million and to Japan £8.0 million. Corresponding figures of imports of all merchandise were £33.6 million from the United Kingdom and £14.8 million from Japan. My hon. Friend will recollect that maximum imports of Japanese cotton goods into India are regulated according to the terms of the Indo-Japanese Treaty of 1933 whereby these imports are linked on a quota basis with exports of Indian raw cotton to Japan.