§ Mr. Wigleyasked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will publish a table in the Official Report showing the country 475W of origin and tonnage of steel being imported into the United Kingdom at the latest date for which information is available.
§ Mr. MeacherIn the period January-October 1977 imports of ingots, semi-finished and finished steel were:
Thousand tonnes Grand Total 3,088 of which, consigned from: Federal Republic of Germany 720 Netherlands 555 Belgium-Luxembourg 299 France 226 Sweden 186 Italy 163 Japan 145 South Africa 86 Austria 83 USSR 80 Spain 75 Norway 70 Poland 55 Finland 53 Denmark 49 South Korea 34 Other 209 Note: Details of country of origin could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
§ Mr. Roy Hughesasked the Secretary of State for Trade what steps have been taken to deal with imports of steel reinforcing bars, light sections and flats from Spain which have been damaging the United Kingdom industry.
§ Mr. MeacherFollowing applications for anti-dumping action from the United Kingdom steel industry my Department has held discussions with the Spanish Government. I am pleased to say that agreement has now been reached under476W which, with effect from 1st November 1977, imports of Spanish non-alloy steel reinforcing bars, light sections and flats are to be subject to price undertakings received from the Spanish Government. We have also received satisfactory indications about the quantities to be suppled. The agreement will run until 30th April next year in the case of reinforcing bars and until end October 1978 in the case of both sections and flats. Her Majesty's Government have accordingly agreed to suspend their anti-dumping action against all three products. A provisional charge to anti-dumping duty of £31.50 per tonne on Spanish light sections, first imposed in April this year, lapsed on 30th September.