GERMAN GOODS.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XII, Issue 235, 16 September 1922, Page 5

GERMAN GOODS.

ENTERING AUSTRALIA. ANTI-DUMPING LAW APPEAL. Melbourne, Sept. 15. The Minister of Customs has applied the provisions of the anti-dumping legislation to German dolls and gloves. —(A. and N.Z.) Under the Australian Industries Preservation Act special provision is made for anti-dumping duties, and these will operate most severely against Germany because of her heavily depreciated currency. The application of this Act may be illustrated as follows: If goods are imported from Germany of a like kind to goods imported from the United Kingdom, section 3 the Act provides that a dumping preference duty shall be imposed equal to the difference between the fair market value of such goods in the United Kingdom and their export price in Germany. For instance, if rolled-gold spectacle rims such as are manufactured in the United Kingdom, but not in Australia, are imported from Germany at an export price of , say, 12s a dozen, and the price of such rims in the United Kingdom is 48s, a dumping duty of 36s a dozen would be imposed, in addition to the ordinary customs tariff duty* If the goods are such as are manufactured in Australia, section 8 of the Act becomes operative and a “dumping exchange duty” is levied in accordance with the rate set out in the schedule of the Act. At the present time the* highest duty which can be charged under this section is 75 per cent., but the question of amending the Act to provide for the greatly increased depreciation of German currency is now under consideration. NECESSARY NOTICE. People ask why these anti-dumping duties are not being applied, but in no case can they be levied until the Minister for Customs publishes a notice in the “Commonwealth Gazette” specifying thegoods to which the duty •is to apply. This cannot be done until the Customs ascertain the prices at which the goods are being offered. The Minister has power, however, to make such notice apply to goods entered for home consumption, before the date of issue of the notice, as well as after that date —that is, to make it retrospective. This power will lie exercised sparingly. It was recently used in the case of pianos, but in that instance the Customs had taken a deposit to the amount of the extra duty, and therefore the importer, on whom the levy was made, suffered no hardship. This would be the practice in most cases where it was expected that higher rates would be charged. Those people, therefore, who have been expecting cheap goods from Germany will be disappointed. In every case it will be the business of the Customs to see that such goods are sold at a fair price.