TARIFF CONCESSIONS FOR AUSTRALIA

Greymouth Evening Star, 14 November 1947, Page 6

TARIFF CONCESSIONS FOR AUSTRALIA

CANBERRA, November 12. Australia had been offered tariff concessions on almost all the principal products she exported or could expect to export, said the Minister of Post-War Reconstruction (Mr J. J. Dedman), reporting in the House of Representatives on the Geneva trade talks. In return, Australia had concurred in the reduction of certain preferences at present enjoyed in Empire countries and in concessions in Australian tariffs. Mr Dedman added that the concessions offered to Australia should be of real importance in relation to the future development of primary production in the Commonwealth. They also included items of importance to Australian secondary industry. The Minister indicated that Australia hoped to enter the United States more fully in wool, beef, lamb and butter, the import of which had been closed in recent years by exorbitant tariffs.

The Government had every confidence in the ability of Australian industry to stand the concessions. The agreement was not likely to cause any substantial increase in imports in competition with Australian production.

The narrowing of the preferential margins enjoyed by the United Kingdom, New Zealand, and Canada on a number of items might affect to some extent- the advantages which these countries had in the Australian market, but in no case had a preference been reduced without the consent of the country involved.