U.K. Anti-Dumping Duty On Butter From Ireland

Press, Volume C, Issue 29684, 30 November 1961, Page 17

U.K. Anti-Dumping Duty On Butter From Ireland

(N.Z. Press Assn.—Copyright) LONDON, November 29. The imposing of an anti-dumping duty on butter imports from the Irish Republic would price Irish butter out of the British market, a trade spokesman at the Irish Republic Embassy in London said, according to the “Daily Telegraph.”

The anti-dumping duty of £lO 5s a cwt, or approximately Is 9d per lb, was being imposed from today. This was the first occasion on which the duty, which had been used sparingly, had been imposed on butter. The newspaper said that although several countries

were sending butter to Britain at low prices, Eire was the only one to suffer an anti-dumping duty. The antidumping duty was designed to bring export price in line with the home price. Trade figures showed that in the first 10 months of this year Ireland exported more than 14,000 tons of butter, valued at £3,532.000, to Britain. This compared with 4800 tons valued at £1,421,480 in the first 10 months of last year. The price of Irish butter in Britain was 272 s 6d a cwt. against the Dublin price of 466 s 6d per cwt An Embassy statement said it had made it clear in discussions with the British Government that it was willing and anxious to co-operate with the other countries. It expressed pained surprise that New Zealand and Denmark had applied to Britain for the imposition of anti-dumping duties on Irish butter. The statement suggested that Denmark, New Zealand and some other exporting countries were offered quotas while on the other hand, the Irish Government was told that if it did not accept the figure of 4000 tons, a heavy duty would be imposed.

There was a very sharp reaction in Dublin last night to the British decision. Most producers were alarmed, the “Daily Telegraph” said. The agricultural correspondent of the "Guardian” said that the duty would make Irish butter utterly uncompetitive with New Zealand. Danish and Australian supplies. He said it comd only have been designed to exclude Irish butter altogether until the Republic fell into line with other suppliers who have agreed to limit their ship-

ments over the next six months. The absence of Irish butter from the shops would make little difference to total supplies for only about 3 per cent, came from the Republic, the correspondent said. Dairy products were, however, a feature of Irish exports, second only in importance to exports of store cattle. The Irish Government, which was informed verbally on November 17 of Britain’s intention to impose the antidumping duty from today, yesterday issued a white paper giving its reasons for declining to fall into line with the limitation plans. The White Paper said that the programme of restriction did not represent a fair sharing of the burden. The quantity was less than half of that which the Republic would have available for export in that period, while Denmark, New Zealand and some other exporting countries were offered quotas which, in practice, would enable them to export the quantities they would in any case have sent to the United Kingdom. "Apart from the (act that New Zealand was not being asked to make any contribution, the figures in the view of the Irish and other delegations (to the G.A.T.T. meeting) were unduly favourable to the larger exporters and unfavourable to a number of smaller exporters, including traditional exporters, such as Ireland,'* the White Paper said.

. UJK. Soccer.—Brentford beat Aidershot 2-0 tonight in their FA. cup second round rwilay. In a Football League Cup third round replay Rotherham United heat Preston North End 3-0 (London. November 28.)