TARIFF DUTIES

Evening Star, Issue 20556, 7 August 1930, Page 3

TARIFF DUTIES

TRADE BETWEEN DOMINION AND COMMONWEALTH Ujotbd Prim JUbociatio*.] WELLINGTON, August 6. Trade between. New Zealand and Australia and the question of a reciprocal tariff agreement between the two countries were considered by the committee of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce, . and the following report was submitted to the council of the chamber and agreed to: — “ Surtaxes and additions to the Australian tariff duties have come into operation since April of this year, and among these is to be noted a primage duty of 2i per cent, imposed by the Commonwealth Government, which has application to the products of New Zealand as well as of other countries entering Australia. The tariff amendments now under discussion by the New Zealand Parliament propose that existing duties under the tariff agreement with the Commonwealth bo retained, and this includes the 2 per cent, primage duty imposed last year as regards importations from other countries. The New Zealand Government proposes to substitute changes in the duties as now levied, and inquiry has been made of the Comptroller of Customs whether the terras of the reciprocal tariff agreement are affected by tho variations. For some years New Zealand chambers of commerce have stressed the disparity in trade between the Commonwealth and this dominion, and anything that tends to increase the burden of the duty upon Now Zealand goods entering Australia, and conversely tho lightening of New Zealand duties upon Australian goods entering tho dominion, will have an inlluenco towards increasing instead of decreasing the adverse trade _ balance against New Zealand. These facts are brought to the, notice of the council.”