IMPORTS RESTRICTIONS

Greymouth Evening Star, 23 January 1942, Page 2

IMPORTS RESTRICTIONS

RELAXATION IN QUOTAS WELLINGTON, January 22. Increases in the allowable import quotas for many lines are announced to-night by the Comptroller of Customs. Stockings, rice, and tea are among the scores of lines affected. The announcement says that, in accordance with the intimation at the time of publication of the schedule of allocations for the sixth licensing period that the question of additional allocations would be considered later, a revision of that schedule has now been made by the Minister for Customs in the light of existing circumstances. The list of modified items is gazetted to-night, and the additional import licenses will be issued to importers upon formal application to Collectors of Customs. Opportunity has been taken to include in the list modifications in the sixth period schedule which have been made since its publication before the present general revision.

In order to economise in the use of paper, it has been decided not to reprint the revised schedule for the sixth licensing period, but copies of the gazetted list will be available to the public at customhouses throughout New Zealand. To-night’s gazetted list also announces that no license will be granted for the importation from the United Kingdom of any manufactured goods containing 50 per cent, or more, by weight, of rubber, other than rubber tyres for motorvehicles and inner tubes for them. Consideration will, however, be given to special applications in respect of such goods supported by a full description of goods required and the purpose for whic hthey are to be used. The new revision grants increased allocations based in the main on 25 per cent, for some 240 items, including a number of goods and commodities which, from time to time, have been reported to be in short supply. For instance, an increase of 100 per cent, has been granted in respect of certain types of women’s stockings. In the cases of imports from the United Kingdom and Crown Colonies, 50 per cent, increases have been granted in" 39 items, including infants’ and invalids' foods, sago, tapioca, gloves, mittens, children’s socks and stocking's, women’s stockings, other than cotton, silk, and artificial silk, cutlery, photographic goods, bolts and nuts, typewriters, electric machines or appliances, except gas ranges, safety razor blades, fishing nets, and certain earthenware. BABIES’ CLOTHING Increases of 25 per cent, in the same section cover 31 items, and include babies’ clothing, carpets, floor coverings, hairpins, safety-pins, etc., and

certain knitted piece goods, woollen moquette and tapestry, certain sporting and athletic requisites, tobacco, pipes, electric lamp bulbs (where not made locally) clothes wringers, and bicycles. In respect of imports from the United Kingdom and other British countries, the increased allocations embrace 58 items. No limit is imposed for medicated cigarettes, surgeons’ rubber gloves, and paperhangings. Among the 50 per cent, increases in this section are tea, salt, arrowroot, spirits, sparkling wine, children’s footwear, infants’ feeding bottles, carbon paper, kapoc, and solid rubber tyres, while 25 per cent, increases include linoleum, certain yarns, clocks, and printing materials. Sixty-five classes of imports from all sources are affected. No limit is imposed in respect of vaccines, anaesthetics, surgical and dentists’ instruments and materials, X-ray equipment, and builders’ hardware.

The allocation for rice is increased 100 per cent. Among the 50 per cent, increases are wine, essences, vitamins, spices, dyes, nails and tacks, and tanning materials, while 25 per cent, increases include coffee, wool, cotton, silk and artificial silk yarns, watches, and adding machines. In a further section applying to imports from all sources, 10 items are affected. There is no limit in respect of spectacle lenses, X-ray films, and fish liver oils, while a 50 per cent, increase is made for fishhooks. Twenty-four items are removed out of the “control” section and are given specific allocations instead of applications for them having to be considered individually. These include bran, pollard, dates, dried apricots and peaches, certain preserved fruits, almonds and nuts (except peanuts), cornflour, certain textile piece goods, gumboots, pneumatic rubber tyres, drinking glasses, wire netting, cod liver oil, and certain timber. In the final section (items for which no allocation was previously made), there is now no limit in respect of batteries for hearing aids. An increase

of 100 per cent, is made in respect of spare parts for hearing aids, women’s stockings of cotton, silk, and artificial silk, and paint brushes. There are 25 per cent, increases for macaroni and vermicelli. Items which are now subject to “control” include fruit pulp, domestic gas cookers, and electric ranges.