Reagan against lamb quota bill

Press, 7 May 1981, Page 3

Reagan against lamb quota bill

NZPA Washington The Reagan Administration yesterday formally advised its opposition to a congressional bill which would set quota limits on lamb imports. The declaration came at a meeting of the House Ways and Means Committee, which was considering several trade bills. It was the first public indication that the Administration would oppose the bill, . although Agriculture Department officials have said they do not see any need for lamb import quotas. The bill was introduced at the end of March by a Republican congressman, Mr Tom Leoffler, of Texas, the nation’s biggest sheepmeat producing state. The bill would set a ceiling on lamb imports of 31M pounds Oust over 14M kilograms) a year, or 12 per cent of the previous year’s domestic production, whichever is “the smaller: A similar bill before the Senate, but no committee hearings on it have yet been scheduled. >' Since the bills were introduced, the National Wool

Growers’ Association has filed a petition seeking countervailing import duties of 15-20 per cent on New Zealand lamb imports, alleging they are sutlsidised by the New Zealand Government. The chairman of the Meat Board, Mr Adam Begg, is optimistic that the dispute over lamb exports to the United States will be settled. American sheepfarmers may withdraw their petition, he said in Wellington yesterday after a visit to the United States. The American woolgrowers had mistakenly believed that the duties would lift the price of New Zealand lamb and their own. But if duties were imposed on the lamb cuts which received export incentives, New Zealand could send only lamb carcasses, Mr Begg said. Carcass quality could not be controlled so closely and the effect could damage lamb’s image in the United States. ; .. ? " ' ’’ The woolgrowers’ petition had opened up the possibility of protectionists moves against other areas of New Zealand trade with the United States. ,