MOTOR SPIRITS

Evening Post, Volume CXXIX, Issue 23, 27 January 1940, Page 9

MOTOR SPIRITS

NEW REGULATIONS

TARIFF MODIFICATION

Notice is given in the Gazette published, on, Thursday of an amendment of the Customs tariff preference regulations in so'far.as they relate.to motor spirits. Under existing regulations motor spirits are regarded as the produce or manufacture of countries that arc,part-of the British Dominions, the produce or manufactures of which are entitled to be entered/under the British preferential tariff provided that the final ;process of manufacture has been performed in such a country, and that, the expenditure represented by materials produced m and/or labour performed in such countries amounts to not less than one-half of the factory cost of the goods. The new regulations provide that motor spirits shall be regarded as the produce or manufacture of countries forming part of the British Dominions only if they are wholly the produce or manufacture of such countries and if the final process of manufacture of all such motor spirits shall have been performed in such a country.

Dtity is. at present payable on motor spirits under both the British preferential tariff and the general tariff at the rate of Is 2d a gallon. In addition motor spirits produced in foreign countries are liable to surtax amounting to l-20th of the duty. "The object of the new regulations," said'the Minister of Customs (the Hon. W. Nasli) last evening, "is to ensure that surtax is paid in cases where motor spirits produced in a foreign country may be merely blended prior to importation with motor spirits produced, in a British "'Dominion."

The regulations are now in force. Similar regulations relating to tea have been in force since 1927.