§ Sir John Farrasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make use of article 24 of the new multi-fibre arrangement protocol to bring under quota restraint garments made predominantly from ramie.
§ Mr. Alan ClarkThe European Commission has been informed of my concern at the high level of imports this year from certain third countries of garments made predominantly of ramie. We have provided the Commission and other member states with the provisional import figures obtained for the first 20 days of the year. Other member states have been invited urgently to provide similar details of ramie imports so that the Community can decide what action, including the possibility of consultations under article 24 of the protocol, to take. The United Kingdom has emphasised the need for the Community to act quickly if this is justified.
§ Sir John Farrasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is the number of garments made from more than 50 per cent. by weight of ramie fibre, contained within Category 5 (jumpers, pullovers and cardigans) of the multi-fibre arrangement, for which import licences have been received since 31 December 1986.
§ Mr. Alan ClarkThere is no import licensing requirement for pullovers made predominantly from ramie, but special surveillance measures have been in force since 1 January 1987. Provisional import figures reveal that in the first 20 days of January, 240,000 of these pullovers originating in China, Hong Kong, South Korea and Taiwan (the only countries for which figures are at present available) were imported into the United Kingdom.
Sir John Farr asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will publish in the Official Report details of the special import surveillance arrangements he has made in relation to certain garments made predominantly from ramie.
§ Mr. Alan ClarkIn order to monitor effectively imports of certain garments made predominantly from ramie, five new Nimexe headings were created on 1 January this year for pullovers, shirts and blouses. With the co-operation of Her Majesty's Customs, my Department has been monitoring the levels of the most sensitive of these imports from Hong Kong, South Korea, Taiwan and China under an import surveillance arrangement which provides provisional import figures at 10-day intervals. In view of the significant quantity identified, arrangements are now being made for imports under the remaining Nimexe headings to be similarly closely monitored and for Macao to be added to the list of originating countries.