§ Mr. OppenheimTo ask the President of the Board of Trade how many multi-fibre arrangements with third world countries are currently in operation in the case of(a) the United Kingdom and (b) Germany; what are the latest figures for clothing and textile (i) exports and (ii) imports for (a) and (b) which country is the world's largest exporter of clothing and textiles; and what is the United Kingdom's rank.
§ Mr. NeedhamAgreements with supplying countries under the multi-fibre arrangement (MFA) are negotiated by the European Commission and apply equally to all EC member states. There are currently 27 MFA agreements.
In 1991, the latest year for which figures are available, the value of United Kingdom exports of textiles and clothing was £4.7 billion and imports totalled £8.4 billion. In the same year German exports totalled £12.6 billion against imports of £21.5 billion.
In 1990, the latest year for which complete comparative figures are available, Hong Kong was the world's largest exporter of textiles and clothing (£13.5 billion). In the same year, the United Kingdom was ranked 10th with exports totalling £4.7 billion.