TRADE TREATY

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXIII, Issue 113, 27 April 1933, Page 7

TRADE TREATY

ANGLO-DANISH AGREEMENT RESTRICTION OF DUTIES. RECIPROCAL ADVANTAGES OUTLINED. (British Official Wireless., (Received 27, 12.30 p.m.) RUGBY, April 26. By the new United Kingdom-Danish trade agreement, each country undertakes that the import duties on certain classes ol goods in which the other is interested will not be raised above specified rates which, in most cases, are the existing rates; but reductions are conceded by Denmark on certain classes of goods, including printed cotton piece goods, certain unbleached piece goods, certain piece goods ot artificial silk mixed with cotton or wool, carpeting piece goods, etc. An alteration is being made in the basis whereon import duties are levied on motor cars. Denmark agrees to maintain freedom from import duty on coal, coke, iron, steel and certain other goods, and Denmark's undertaking not to increase import duties applies to a wide range of goods including certain textiles, linoleum, motor cycles, whisky and gin. If the Danish market is Hooded with cheap textiles from other countries, the two Governments will discuss proposals for the purpose of preserving or restoring the economic level of prices no change being made before July, 1935. The United Kingdom undertakes that the import duty reductions on certain goods, such as bacon and hams, are to be kept free from import duty. The existing rate is not to be exceeded in regard to butter, eggs, tinned cream and certain other goods. Not less than 80 per cent, of Denmark's imports of coal, representing an increase of 14 million tons annually, will be obtained from Britain, whose proportion of Denmark’s coke exports —approximately 70 per cent.—will be maintained. A substantial increase in Denmark’s purchases of United Kingdom iron and steel is anticipated. Denmark has beer mranteed that in any compulsory s ,ie. her quota of British imports of uacon, butter, eggs and fish will not be less than 62 per cent, of the total of foreign supplies. She has also been guaranteed certain minimum quotas if the restrictions are imposed on imported butter, eggs and fish. The treaty operates for three years.

The agreement retains the fifteen shillings duty on butter and fixes the imports of Danish butter at 2,300,000 hundredweight yearly, which is appreciably below last year.