Footwear

HC Deb 18 March 1976 vol 907 cc620-2W

Mr. John Garrett

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will include sandals in the agreement with COMECON countries to limit their footwear exports to Great Britain.

Mr. Deakins

No. I have seen no evidence to suggest that imports of sandals from East European countries are disrupting the British footwear industry.

Mr. John Garrett

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what is the rate of import duty imposed on British footwear imported into Spain; and what is the rate of import duty imposed on Spanish footwear imported into Great Britain.

Mr. Deakins

The rates are set out below:

For the main types of footwear imported from Spain the rates of import duty are set out in Table 2 below.

TABLE 2
Tariff Heading	Description	Import Duty
64.01	Footwear with outer soles and uppers of rubber or artificial plastic material:
	B. Not made to cover the ankle:
	I. Of a length (front of sole to heel tip) exceeding 235 mm.	Whichever is the less of:
		(a) £0.0100 per pair plus 16 per cent., or
		(b) £0.0500 per pair.
	II. Other	Whichever is the less of:
		(a) £0.0080 per pair plus 16 per cent., or
		(b) £0.0400 per pair.
64.02	Footwear with outer soles of leather or composition leather; footwear (other than footwear falling within heading No. 64.01) with outer soles of rubber or artificial plastic material:
	A. Footwear with uppers of leather:
	II. Not containing more than 5 per cent. by weight of silk, of man-made fibres or of both together:
	(a) Women's	Whichever is the less of:
		(a) 6.4 per cent. plus whichever is the greater of 1 per cent. or £0.0150 per pair, or
		(b) whichever is the greater of 5 per cent. or £0.0750 per pair.
	(b) Men's	7.5 per cent.
	(c) Other	8.4 per cent.
	B. Other:
	I. With outer soles of rubber or artificial plastic material:
	(b) Not containing more than 5 per cent. by weight of silk, of man-made fibres, or of both together:
	2. Not made to cover the ankle:
	(aa) Of a length (front of sole to heel tip) exceeding 235 mm.	Whichever is the less of:
		(a) £0.0100 per pair plus 16 per cent., or
		(b) £0.0500 per pair.
	(bb) Other	Whichever is the less of:
		(a) £0.0080 per pair plus 16 per cent., or
		(b) £0.0400 per pair.

Mr. John Garrett

asked the Secretary of State for Trade which countries impose quotas on footwear imported from Great Britain.

Mr. Deakins

Quotas on the import of footwear from Great Britain are imposed by seven countries. They are Japan, Kenya, New Zealand, Panama, South Africa, Sweden, Tunisia.

Mr. John Garrett

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he has received complaints of the dumping of footwear from Argentina and Brazil; what representations he has made to the Governments of those countries; and when he expects to be able to make a statement.

Mr. Deakins

My Department is currently considering complaints that footwear from Brazil is subsidised and that footwear from Argentina is dumped and subsidised. Talks with the Brazilian Government will begin shortly. The allegations concerning Argentina are very recent and are being urgently assessed within my Department. We shall make an announcement as soon as possible.