New Aust. tariffs on clothing

Press, 26 November 1977, Page 4

New Aust . tariffs on clothing

INZPA Canberra The Australian Government is to sharply increase tariffs on imported clothing and impose new import; restrictions as part of a three-year programme of assistance to Australia’s domestic clothing industry. I Similar steps are also be--1 ing taken to protect Australia’s textile and footwear I industries. The Minister for Industry j and Commerce (Senator Roblert Cotton) and the Minister for Business and Consumer i Affairs (Mr Wai Fife) made! the announcement late on; Tuesday, less than three, weeks before the General; Election, in which Australia’s; unemployment is emerging as j a central issue. The Ministers said the Government would seek to ; maintain the present employment level of 120,000 in the three industries, until mid--1980, through a continuation of import quotas. The Ministers said that the present New ZealandAustralia Free Trade Agreement covering a specified range of textiles, clothing, and footwear items would continue. ; Trade sources said that j the Government’s decision would boost Australia’s clothing, textile, and footwear prices, for the rest of this decade. In a recent report on the industries, the Industries Assistance Commission estimated that tariff protection on these goods, at the previous rate, was costing i each Australian family sAust2oo a year, on average. |