Butter Importers "Risk Big Loss”

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31134, 10 August 1966, Page 16

Butter Importers "Risk Big Loss”

(New Zealand Press Association) , WELLINGTON, August 9. i A film which was proposing to import 1000 tons of Danish butter into New Zealand stood the risk of making a very substantial ; loss, the Minister of Customs (Mr Shelton) told Parliament tonight.

'! Speaking during the debate, ’ on the Customs Department! ’! estimates, the Leader of the! (’Opposition (Mr Kirk) asked 1 ' Mr Shelton if he could con- : firm a newspaper report that ’ i (: 1000 tons of Danish butter (I j were being imported. “It would seem to me to!, ' be a wholly wasteful proce- ! dure in spending overseas,; 'exchange on the importation'' of butter,” he said. Mr Shelton replied that in ‘ i 1960 the then Labour GovernI meat freed butter from im- ’ (port control—an action with 1 I which he had agreed. |i

I “There are no import 'licences required for the imIportation of butter,” he said. “If anybody bought in this j amount of butter a tremendous loss would be involved :by the firm.” Mr Shelton said that the Danish butter might be subject to “dumping duty” and iwould be subject to sales tax. It would probably retail about 10s a pound. The Minister said he had warned the firm of the losses they could incur by importling Danish butter.