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Paint imports rise After severe problems in the early 1980s, the paint and printing inks industry is beginning to show some signs of improvement. Average sales for the industry grew by 21.4% over the first half of the period covered, and then by 45.2% over the second half, states the latest ICC Business Ratios report on paint and printing inks. There are now signs of a slackening off in this expansion. At the same time, imports have been steadily increasing, and now take a larger share of the home market. The level of exports has risen, but not by the same rate as imports. This increasing invasion of the domestic market will cause difficulties for the UK producers — as we have seen elsewhere when it is too late!