§ Sir David SteelTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what measures Her Majesty's Government are taking to ensure that any phasing-out of the multifibre arrangement is based on the principle of equal opportunities for all the producing nations.
§ Mr. Redwood[holding answer 23 February 1990]: The EC is committed in GATT to phasing out the MFA after its expiry next year if a satisfactory overall deal can be reached which benefits the EC as a whole. The United Kingdom has made it clear that the MFA cannot be looked at in isolation and that among other things there must must be a greater commitment to market opening especially from newly industrialised economies. We are convinced that equal opportunities for all trading partners can best be achieved by the development of a more open, viable and durable trading system, pursued multilaterally under the aegis of GATT.