§ Mr. Woolmerasked the Secretary of State for Trade what was the level of trade, imports and exports, in clothing with the United States of America for each year since 1977 and for the current year to the latest available date.
§ Mr. ParkinsonThe information is as follows:
Trade in clothing with USA, 1977–October 1980 1977 1978 1979 (£ thousand) Jan—Oct 1980 Imports (cif) 10,120 12,023 25,837 36,318 Exports (fob) 31,297 33,647 28,602 23,362 Source: SITC(R2) Division 84, excluding item 847.11 and Group 848, and corresponding items under SITC(R1).
§ Mr. Woolmerasked the Secretary of State for Trade when he expects to make a statement on the negotiations in relation to the renewal of the multi-fibre arrangement for trade in textiles and clothing.
§ Mr. ParkinsonThe Government have already said that they consider it essential that there should be a successor arrangement to the current MFA and that the arrangement should be the best deal it is possible to obtain for the clothing and textiles industries, taking account of British interests as a whole. I do not expect the negotiations to begin in earnest until next year. Although the MFA itself expires at the end of 1981, the bilateral arrangements negotiated until it continue until the end of 1982.
§ Mr. Woolmerasked the Secretary of State for Trade what representations he has made to the United States Government regarding their intention to increase tariffs on United Kingdom and other European Economic Community exports of wool garments into that country; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. ParkinsonThe United States will increase duties on certain imports—mainly of woollen textile products—from 1 January 1981 if the existing United Kingdom quotas on nylon carpet yarn and polyester filament yarn are continued next year and if further compensation has not been agreed before that date. The United States Government have been left in no doubt that we consider the level of retaliation proposed to be excessive; and that we strongly disapprove of their action in announcing this before any decision has been taken about the continuation of the quotas.
§ Mr. Woolmerasked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will make a statement on the current quotas on imports of United States synthetic fibres and their renewal as from 1 January 1981.
§ Mr. ParkinsonThe existing polyester filament yarn quota is set at 9,035 tonnes. For the first nine months of358W this year imports of this product from sources subject to the quota totalled 10,043 tonnes. Of this total, 3,540 tonnes were imports for re-export, which the quota is not designed to restrict. The nylon carpet yarn quota sources in the first nine months totalled 4,300 tonnes. I have not yet reached a decision on whether we should seek to renew the quotas for 1981.
§ Mr. Woolmerasked the Secretary of State for Trade if European Economic Community investigations into allegations of unfair trade practices by the textile producers of the Prato region of Italy have been concluded; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. ParkinsonThe Commission reported in January this year that its investigations had not found concrete evidence of unfair practices contravening the provisions of the Treaty of Rome. In June of this year at the behest of the Departments of Trade and Industry, the Commission chaired a meeting between representatives of the Yorkshire and Prato industries to discuss further information on comparative costings. Although the possibility of a further meeting was left open my information is that the Wool Textile Manufacturers' Federation does not at present intend to resume these exchanges.
§ Mr. Cryerasked the Secretary of State for Trade what is the latest balance of trade position in textile goods.
§ Mr. ParkinsonIn the period January to October 1980 the crude deficit—exports valued fob minus imports cif—in trade in textile goods* was £379 million.
*SITC (Rev 2) Division 65, Groups 266, 267, 268 (part), 842 to 847.