HC Deb 08 June 1981 vol 6 c3W
Mr. Campbell-Savours

asked the Secretary of State for Trade whether he will set out the reasons why Messrs. Milliken and Co. of South Carolina, which according to trade press notice reference No. 253 of 21 May, and against whom the European Commission has made allegations of dumping textile products, has had imposed upon it a 3.9 per cent. additional anti-dumping duty following upon an investigation into its dumping activities and the resultant injury caused to the Europen textile industry; and if there is any evidence that the products in question subject to the anti-dumping duty have been produced on Sulzer machinery similar to the 400 Sulzer looms bought by Messrs. Milliken and Co. from the closed Courtaulds mills of Lillyhall in Workington and Hadrian in Carlisle.

Mr. Parkinson

The European Commission regulations 1337 of 1981 imposing a provisional anti-dumping duty on certain woven polyester fabrics imported from the United States of America provides for a general rate of duty of 38 per cent. with lower rates for named producers; in the case of Milliken and Co. the rate is 3.9 per cent. This lower rate of duty reflects the Commission's provisional finding that their products are not dumped to the same extent as those of some other producers. I have no knowledge as to the source of the machinery used to manufacture the products in question.