Tariffs and trade
Sir: Is it not more ironic to Ian Bradley that the nervous voices, fearful of reciprocal action, should come from the right ?
Why should we be so worried about tariff barriers being set up against our exports in the event that we exercise import control to protect our own industry?
The only reason for a foreign country to do so would be exactly the same as ours— namely that if they produced the item themselves they can only harm their own industry by importing the same article.
This would only apply to those markets where competition is most fierce and it seems eminently sensible to try to avoid the unnecessary duplication and consequent waste which absence of control promotes.
There is too much evidence available to delay much longer—why did we import aircraft when we made them (better?) ourselves? And cutlery, and cars, and boats, and electronic equipment, and bacon, and .. . ?
And what damage have we done to those industries? To whom therefore shall we export ?
Only those industries which we rely upon for our exports need this protection and it is exactly the same for the foreigner.
To direct our energies ever more to the home market (which is precisely what we are doing through the Common Market) is to tie one hand behind our back as we seek to export to those further afield who actually need our products.
Beverley J. Pyke
27 Middle Street, Shoreham, Sussex
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