ANTI-DUMPING

Evening Post, Volume CXVII, Issue 48, 26 February 1934, Page 8

ANTI-DUMPING

DEMAND ON AUSTRALIA

AWKWARD POSitION

(.From "The Post's" Representative.) - ■ ;.; v:" ':-'.\- ■y'stp'NTSXi .February 15^: An, awktirardS position; •; has v been created forthe.Federal Government by, tho' demand.of'the'Manchester Chamber of Commerce v^that the Government should, put intOiioporation; atonco* the, preference; dunipingfprbvisibns'of the Australian.'laclustries' Preservation. Act. The f ailuro of the^Government toapply theso^ provisions^ -which were incorporated in the Act with the special object of assisting: Britishygoods on the Australian markett.has'been-a sore.point with' British' trade authorities'for some time, andlit scorns* now. as tnough the matter might be brought to a head arid that Australia will,bo forced.to openly, derlare its attitude.';v ■1;-. V : . .-.■•

...Ssetibns S and/9' of tho Act'provide that if the Minister is satisfied, after an inquiry by tho'Tariff Board, that by reason of depreciation of/ currency ■of tho country of origin,' pf goods entering Australia, in. comparison J -with United Kingdom currency, such goods are being sold in Australia at less than a fair market' price, ho may impose s'peeial -British : prefefonco dumping duties. The amount of these duties shall yt>o a sum • representing tho difference between theifair market.value in ,tho. United' Kingdom of such goods and .the 'actual exportk price' of the goods coming from the foreign country concerned.^ -V,v ■:[■ .''.'•'•'":■.-.■'■■',■.■ :.:. .■

■'.Thus it will be seen that tho Act is a British Industries Preservation Act as well ; as an j Australian; Industries Preservation Act, and there is considerable agitation.in the British, textile industry, which.is chio'flyconcorned'with foreign competition; in tho market, because tho sections, referred to have been held; in abeyanco for so long—a matter of years now.- It is known that ■application of the sections is feared because of .the serious political difficulties that might follow a protest from local manufacturers. In addition there would be protests from Japan, the country that would be most concerned. The last two Federal Governments have sidc-steppoa the issue, and British manufacturers now assert that tho tacit refusal to: enforce the Act enables certain goods from foreign countries to enter the ' Commonwealth on ■ more favourable terms than1 they are entitled to, arid on terms that are certainly disadvantageous to Britain!: It is understood that tho matter has been Btrongly raised by the British' Trade Commisi^ionor' in; Australia. Manufacturers' say that the disregard of the Act' constitutes a breach of the Ottawa Agree- | mont, but this view is contested by the Federal Government, which holds that th c: Ottawa Agreement is a: document imposing -certain specific = obligations, and^anything outside those obligations is outside the scope of the agreemerit.