N.Z. TARIFF TREATY

Grey River Argus, 28 April 1932, Page 5

N.Z. TARIFF TREATY

WITH CANADA List of Preferences (From Our Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, April 27. The trade agreement between New Zealand and Canada was brought before the House this evening, when the Resolutions and Customs Bill were introduced Hon. W. D. Stewart. He explained the Agreement, which is to remain in force for one year. The Agreement provides that New Zealand goods in Canada are to obtain either the benefits of the Cana-dian-British preferential tariff, or the advantage of lower rates than those under the British preference. Lower duties are promised in the Agreement for several lines, the chief of which are as follows:— CANADIAN PREFERENCE FOR N.Z. GOODS. / Fresh beef, veal, lamb, mutton —A . duty of three cents, instead of four ] cents per pound as formerly. Frozen rabbits—Free instead of 124 per cent, as formerly. Lard and stearine—Free, instead of 14 cents per lb. Cheese —One cent per lb, instead of three cents. Butter —Five cents per lb, instead of eight cents. Hops—Six cents per lb, instead of eight cents. Seed peas and seed beans —Free, instead of five per cent. Fruit pulp—Free, instead of 1| cents per lb. Casein —124 per cent., instead of 174 I per cent, plus two cents per pound. Gelatine —124 per cent., instead of 174 per cent.

Blankets —224 per cent., instead of 22j per cent, plus 20 cents per lb. Travelling rugs—3o per cent., instead of 30 per cent., plus 25 cents per pound. Woollen floor rugs —25 per cent., instead of 30 per cent., plus ten cents per square foot. Canada has also agreed to impose substantial duties on wool, hides, skins and pelts under her intermediate and genenral tariffs. N.Z. PREFERENCE FOR CANADIAN GOODS. On the other hand, the benefits of the New Zealand-British preferential tariff have been accorded to Canadian goods, except in the following cases where the duties are higher.— Preserved peas—2o per cent, or 14d per lb. Plaster pulp sheets—3s per cent. Cultivators and other agricultural implements, which arc 100 per cent, from Great Britain, arc 35 per cent, (the surtax is, however, one-twen-tieth).

Electric cookers and heaters —30 per cent.

Motor vehicles—Those containing 75 per cent. Canadian content are to enter at the British preferential rates; if over 50 per cent, of Canadian content, 10 per cent, ad valorem extra. Increased duties, under the New’ Zealand general tariff, are imposed as follows:—

Preserved peas—4s per cent., or 2jd per lb. Lt' . d shingles—3o per cent. Rough sawn and dressed timber — Duty increased by Is per 100 feet.

CANADIAN TIMBER

Mr O’Brien Alert NO ALTERATION IN DUTY. I (From Our Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, April 27. Discussing the new Canadian tariff, Mr O’Brien said that the Schedule of this Agreement showed the rough sawn timber duty at 7s 6d per 100 feet, but he ha<] felt sur e that this was previous, ly on a rate of 9s Gd per 100 feet. Even at 7s 6d per 100 feet, however, there was still the danger of the dump ing of Canadian timber here. Mr Forbes: The timber wag not dumped. It was sold at low prices. Mr O’Brien: You talk of “low prices,” but if you understood the position in Candaa and in the United States, you would know that there is ovcr-p'roduction of timber in both of those countries, and that, rather than sell it at low rates there, they will dump it anywhere! Mr Forbes: There is no evidence of that. Mr O’Brien: Nearly every Sawmillers’ Organisation has produced evidence of it. If required a great deal of pressure on the Prime Minister and on his friends to have the tariff raised from 7s 6d to 9s 6d per 100 feet. The sawmillers wanted 12s per 100 feet on the rough sawn timber, and on the dressed timber they ware satisfied with 18s. if they could hav? the higher amount on the rough sawn timber; but 19s was allowed on .the dressed product.

Mr O’Brien pointed out that the sawmilling industry was in a bad way. Possibly this was not due, -entirely, to lhe imported timber,, but to the reduced spending power of the people, on account of the dead building trade. Hon. Mr Downie Stewart (Customs Minister) speaking later, said that no reduction was being made in the duties on Canadian t’mber, but the rates had been raised against timber from U.S.A. This information, he added, had now been communicated to Mr O’Brien. CANADIAN HOPES. OTTAWA, April 26. The text of the Canadian-New Zealand trade agreement was tabled in the House of Commons on Tuesday night by the Minister of Trade and Commerce, Mr Stevens. Under it, Can-

ada receives the full British preferential tariff on all her exports to New Zealand, with the exception of six items. Mr Stevens expressed the highest hope of increasing very considerably the Canadian exports to the Antipodes.