§ 68. Mr. Fisherasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs which of the countries which have a sizeable trade with Rhodesia have now undertaken to impose a trade embargo, and which have not.
§ Mr. George ThomsonAs the Answer is somewhat long, I shall, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Mr. FisherCould the hon. Gentleman perhaps give a general indication before we see this list whether it indicates whether sanctions are liable to be effective or not?
§ Mr. ThomsonYes, the response so far to the lead given by the Government in bringing economic pressure to bear upon the illegal régime in Southern Rhodesia is very satisfactory indeed, and reinforces our belief that it is possible, in fact, to produce the kind of changes there which we all seek.
Following is the Answer:The following countries import more than £1 million worth of goods from Rhodesia: 1688 Australia, Belgium, Canada, Congo (Leopoldville), Federal German Republic, India, Italy, Japan, Malawi, the Netherlands, Portugal, South Africa, the United States of America, and Zambia. Zambia and Malawi are special cases. Of the others, with the exception of South Africa and Portugal, all of these countries which take significant quantities of Rhodesian tobacco or sugar have announced a ban on its import. The tobacco ban is therefore 90 per cent. effective.Many of these countries have also taken action against other imports from Rhodesia.