§ Mr. Skeetasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what was the cost of Moroccan phosphates on 1st January 1973, the current price per ton following the recent price increases, and the reasons advanced for the substantial increase in prices.
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§ Mr. Anthony GrantThe list price at 1st January 1973 for 1972–73 BPL rock was $12 per metric ton, and from 1st January 1974 is to be $40. In announcing these increases to customers, the Moroccan supplier has referred to the need to bring prices back in real terms to the levels obtaining in the past; to increases in crop values and in the export prices of fertilisers; to losses sustained by the producing company in recent years; and to the need for very substantial investment to increase production to meet the present shortage.