asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce the value of imports and exports between Ireland and Poland for each year from 1960 to 1969, inclusive; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Trade with Poland.
120.
With your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I propose to circulate with the Official Report a tabular statement setting out the information sought in the first part of the question.
In the case of countries with which we have an adverse trade balance the aim is to seek to improve the position by encouraging the expansion of exports. The Deputy is, no doubt, aware that the Government, through Córas Tráchtála, have made a wide range of grants, incentives and services available to exporters and these, of course, apply to exports to Poland.
In addition, preliminary discussions on the question of trade have taken place with Poland but arrangements for the start of formal trade negotiations have not yet been made.
Following is the statement:
Trade with Poland in the Years 1960 to 1969
|
Year |
Imports |
Exports |
|
1960 |
687,246 |
48,481 |
|
1961 |
2,112,548 |
114,742 |
|
1962 |
1,862,727 |
190,767 |
|
1963 |
1,739,798 |
293,079 |
|
1964 |
1,588,268 |
348,918 |
|
1965 |
2,891,095 |
379,394 |
|
1966 |
2,698,356 |
251,371 |
|
1967 |
3,754,154 |
253,052 |
|
1968 |
4,967,517 |
565,807 |
|
January-November 1969 |
5,117,590 |
1,056,411 |
A firm in Waterford has been threatened with redundancy because of the importation, at dumped prices, of certain metals from Poland, a country with which we have a very adverse trade balance.
The allegation has been made. It is being investigated. It can be dealt with quite independently of any question of trade with Poland.
The position should not even arise that such imports should be allowed when the jobs of people in this country are in jeopardy. This is especially so in view of the fact that we are doing very little trade with Poland or any other country similar to it.
There is machinery for dealing with this. It is available and it will be used if it turns out that it should be used.
Is the Minister prepared to take a very hard line with all of these countries behind the Iron Curtain?
With all countries?
With all countries because experience has shown us, from our trade balance as we can see it, that we have got nothing that was given. Will the Minister not agree with that?
In so far as it has been open to me to take a hard line such as the Deputy suggests, this has been done.
With what result?
In specific cases, I am talking about.
It is still a complete imbalance of trade.
The Minister's original reply suggested that there was only one method of dealing with this matter, that is by increasing our exports. There is another method. If the Minister goes back to his original reply he will read "by increasing our exports".
You will find if you examine the imports from most of these countries they are being imported because it suits us, they are cheaper than available anywhere else and they are not competing with our own goods; where they are we can deal with it. However, where the imports are cheaper and are not competing with our goods, by stopping the imports you are simply damaging the people who are importing them. It is not a simple matter of just cutting them off.
There is an effect of cutting them off—in other words it might not be any harm to take a particularly bad case and make an example of it and I think that would be very effective.
I did that last year.
I am glad to hear that. What was the result?
It is not very helpful yet but it is getting along in the right direction.
Is the Minister quite satisfied to allow an import excess from these countries to continue over a number of years?
No, I am not happy about that at all.
This is, in fact, the position; over a long number of years we have had import excess from a number of countries——
This is a statement the Deputy is making. We cannot have a debate on this again. I call Question No. 121.