PREFERENCE IN TARIFFS

Hawera Star, Volume L, 19 December 1930, Page 5

PREFERENCE IN TARIFFS

AUSTRALIA AND CANADA AGREE SECRECY AS TO PROVISIONS DUTIES ON BUTTER ARRANGED. (lamed I’iv.nh Association —By Electric Telegraph Copyright.> Received 10 a.m. to-day. OTTAWA, Dec. 18. On the ground that Mr. Moloney insists that a revelation of the new trade treaty would handicap Australia, Mr. Stevens refuses to divulge details, which will be announced first in the Australian and Canadian Parliaments. Both Ministers deulare that the pact is highly satisfactory and will lead to greatly increased trade. • ° An official statement on the tentative Canadian and Australian treaty will not be issued until next week. Air. Moloney will be back in the capital on Tuesday and the statement may be a joint one. The agreement contains much more favourable automobile and timber schedules for Canada than the existing pact, the timber items being especially helpful to Canada in competition with the United States in Australian markets.

Canada’s preference on newsprint is extended to wood pulp, kraft paper and fruit wrapping paper. There are no changes in the agricultural implements schedules. Butter carries eight cents duty with a proviso if, however, the combined Australian price and Canadian duty is below 32 cents the duty increases to stabilise the minimum import price at 32 cents. This is an extensive concession to the Canadian dairymen, who are fighting tooth and nail against Commonwealth butter and who threatened to upset the treaty on this item alone. Australia’s greatest gains are naturally m fruits, dried' 1 and fresh, and wines.