§ Mr. Anthony Coombsasked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what action is being taken by the Government to ensure that imports of garments made from ramie are restricted through EEC quotas under the multi-fibre agreement.
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§ Mr. Alan ClarkWith the co-operation of Her Majesty's Customs my Department has been closely monitoring imports of garments made predominantly of ramie under an import surveillance arrangement which provides provisional figures at 10-day intervals. After significant levels of imports at the beginning of the year, the volume has fallen back sharply. At present the levels do not justify consultations with supplying countries. However I am aware that ramie mix garments are seasonal in nature and imports may again increase. We have alerted our Community partners and the European Commission to this possibility and my Department will continue to monitor imports and is ready to take action as necessary.