Ray Burke
Question:36 Mr. R. Burke asked the Minister for Tourism and Trade the efforts, if any, made by his Department to assess and counteract the ill effects on our exports to Germany of cheaper imports from Eastern Europe. [7419/96]
Written Answers. - Impact of Eastern European Imports.
Total exports to Germany came to £3.2 billion in 1994, an increase of 22.7 per cent on 1993. Provisional CSO figures for January-November 1995 indicate further growth in exports to Germany of more than 20 per cent over the same period in 1994. An Bord Tráchtála estimates for 1995 indicate growth of 24 per cent in exports from the indigenous sector of the economy.
While some products from Eastern Europe will undoubtedly compete with ours in parts of the Single Market, it must be borne in mind that in return Irish exporters will have access to the rapidly growing markets of Eastern Europe which offer excellent potential for our exporters for the future. The EU has power, of course, to adopt appropriate safeguard measures, such as antidumping duties, against imports from Eastern Europe found to be competing unfairly with Community, including Irish, products.