§ Mr. James Hillasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, in view of the fact that in April, May and June of this year, the Romanian farming industry dumped cucumbers here at less than the cost of production in exchange for irrigation equipment, if he will take steps to ensure that such imports are not permitted in future.
§ Mr. PriorImports of cucumbers from Romania have been permitted within a quota limit for fresh vegetables negotiated as part of the general trading arrangements between this country and Romania for 1969–70. Trade talks on the arrangements for 1970–71 have not yet been completed.
The investigation by the Board of Trade into an application for antidumping action against imports of Romanian cucumbers this spring established that dumping had taken place. The Board of Trade concluded that the dumping had not caused or threatened to cause material injury to the United Kingdom producers of cucumbers. But the Board made it clear to the Romanians that if there were prima facie evidence of materially injurious dumping in a future season they would be prepared to consider a further anti-dumping application in the light of the circumstances then prevailing. During the April-June quarter no Romanian cucumbers were imported after 8th May.