§ Mr. Deakinsasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry for what countries and for what main products United Kingdom tariff concessions in products not included in the EEC generalised system of preferences will be phased out; and what is the value of such products currently imported.
§ Sir G. HoweThe tariff concessions granted by the United Kingdom but excluded from the GSP of the EEC are mainly in primary products and the processed agricultural sector. They will be phased out except for those beneficiaries associated with the EEC or eligible for association; for them the United Kingdom GSP scheme is maintained for the present.
Although the number of tariff headings affected is large, the trade is significant in only a few cases. Among the more important items are certain types of leather from India and certain dried vegetables from Ethiopia and the Lebanon. The trade in this leather cannot be readily quantified because of problems of definition; but India can make use of the Joint Commission for discussing her trade 74W problems with the EEC. Our imports of the dried vegetables from the countries concerned were about £1½ million in 1972: the Common Customs Tariff rates of duty on them are relatively low.
In the industrial sector Hong Kong's exports of footwear do not enjoy preference in the current Community scheme. Our 1972 imports were £11 million.
Palm oil is among the products which are not currently in the EEC scheme but are still under consideration in the Community. Malaysia and Singapore sent us some £17½ million worth under preference in 1972. The same countries sent us canned pineapples worth £3 million in 1972. The EEC is opening a duty-free GSP quota for some part of this trade.