TRADE TREATIES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 115, 18 May 1933, Page 7

TRADE TREATIES.

SCANDINAVIAN PACTS. British Coal Exports to Norway And Sweden. SWEDISH BUTTER FIXTURE. (British Official Wireless.) (Received 12.30 p.m.) RUGBY, May 17. Under the new trade agreement between Britain and Norway, each country undertakes that internal duties levied in either country .on goods which are the produce or manufacture of the other will not be greater than those levied on native goods. In the event of a quantitative regulation being applied on imports of fish into the United Kingdom, the agreement fixes a minimum on the quantities of white fish and herrings allowed to be imported from Norway. If imports of bacon, ham and certain dairy produce are similarly regulated, the imports from Norway shall remain unchanged. Arrangements have been made whereby not less than To per cent of Norway's coal imports will be obtained from Britain, whose proportion of Norway's coke imports, now 7o per cent, will be maintained. The exchange of Notes records the understanding that, subject to certain exceptions, neither country will impose quantitative restrictions on imports such as -would nullify the .effect of the tariff concessions granted in the agreement.

The British agreement with Sweden is in similar form. In the event of the imposition of a quantitative restriction on imports of agricultural produce and fish, the Swedish butter imports are not to be reduced below 18r>,000cwt a year. Eish imports arc not to fall below 45,000 cwt. Eorty-seven per cent of all Swedish coal imports will be of United Kingdom origin. Tariff concessions by Norway include an undertaking to reduce duties on certain classes of textiles, footwear, carpeting and varnishes, and an undertaking to maintain free entry for certain other goods, including coal, coke, tinplate, sewing machines and certain textile machinery, and undertaking not to increase the present rates of duty on a large number of goods. Sweden also undertakes to reduce duties on many classes of goods, including various cotton and woollen piece goods, leather, footwear, small motor cars and motor cycles. Coal, tinplatc, coke and wool tops are among the goods allowed free entry by Sweden, and there, is a lengthy list of articles on which an' undertaking not to increase the present rates of duty has been given. The United Kingdom undertakings regarding import duties are largely the same in both agreements, and include a promise to reduce duties on various classes of wrapping and other paper, and other goods in which Scandinavian countries are especially interested. Specific reductions range up to about 10 per cent.

In some cases the existing 10 per cent duty is being removed and goods added to the free list. Wood pulp, bed props and news print arc to be maintained on the free list, and an undertaking not to increase the existing duties applies to a large number of articles. The undertaking contained in the Denmark agreement not to impose import duties on bacon or eggs, nor to increase the present duty on bacon and eggs is repeated in these agreements.