IMPORT CONTROL

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 68, 13 December 1938, Page 12

IMPORT CONTROL

New Regulations Under Fire

TRADE DESCRIBED AS DISORGANIZED

“No Machinery To Obtain Permits To Import”

By Telegraph—Press Association

CHRISTCHURCH, Dec. 12.

The new import regulations were under fire at a special meeting of the importers’ section of the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce today, when the following motion, a copy of which has been telegraphed to the Minister of Customs, Mr. Nash, was carried: That, whereas the Prime Minister has contended that the new import regulations arc part of a well-thought-out scheme of insulation, the Canterbury importers protest that, though the' regulations have been in force since December 5, there is still no machinery to obtain permits to import, and the trade of the country is being impeded in a manner unprecedented, not even excluding the period immediately after the outbreak of the Great War. ■ The scheme appears to have been hastily conceived without regard to the intricate details of the country’s business, and the present position can only be described as chaotic in every direction. At the moment trade is held up and disorganized. Many commodities have to be bought from day to day by cable to enable New Zealand to buy at the lowest prices and to carry on the manufacturing industries of the Dominion. At present the whole of this delicate machinery, and the skill winch operates it, arc at a standstill. The Canterbury importers call upon the Government to clarify every detail at once and to see that no further hindrance is imposed on the country’s trade.” The meeting decided to send delegates to the meeting of the Importers’ Federation to be held in Wellington tomorrow. It was decided that the delegates should place before the federation the urgent necessity for classification of imports by the Government into two classes, those to be prohibited and those to be the subject of licence, with the balance to be imported without licences. There will also be a request that all the orders placed before December 5 should be permitted to land without a licence in view of shipping space being insufficient to meet the‘demands.

SELECTION AND EXCHANGE

Arrangements For Meeting

Documents

Referring to orders placed before December 5 and to goods received from overseas before December 31, the Minister of Finance, Mr. Nash, said Inst evening that the trading banks without licence would provide all funds necessary to meet documents ou arrival.

Funds to meet documents for goods ordered on or before December 5. despatched from overseas ports on or before December 31 which reach the Dominion after December 31 would be provided on presentation of licence issued by llic Collector of Customs at the time of importation of the goods. "Funds for goods ordered subsequent to December 5 will only be provided on presentation of licence obtained from the Customs Department.” said Mr. Nash.