Paul Scully MP, Minister for Small Business, met this week with representatives of Hawick textile mills and Hawick MP, John Lamont.
The meeting was originally set up to discuss the impact of US tariffs on the cashmere industry, which was hitting local firms hard.
However, since the meeting was secured, the tariffs have been removed for a period of four months to allow for negotiations between the UK and the US to find a longer-term solution.
The businesses had an opportunity to discuss the benefits of the removal of the tariff and make the case for a permanent change.
The impact of Covid, export and import issues relating to Brexit, as well as VAT for international shoppers was also discussed.
Several firms were invited to attend including Short’s of Hawick, Johnstons of Elgin and Hawico.
After the meeting, John Lamont MP said:
“Although the original focus of the meeting had already been sorted, at least in the short-term, this was a good opportunity for textile firms to highlight how challenging US tariffs have been for their business.
“The announcement that the tariffs have been removed for a four-month period is hugely welcome. This week, the International Trade Secretary met with President Biden’s trade representative and I hope a longer-term solution can be found.
“Away from the issue of tariffs, it was also a good opportunity for the businesses to highlight other challenges that are affecting them. It has been a really difficult time for some export businesses and the impact of Covid on top of this has been significant.”
