GERMANY AND OUR TRADE.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LI, Issue 9066, 11 April 1906, Page 6

GERMANY AND OUR TRADE.

HIGH PROTECTIVE TARIFFS THAT MAY HAVE SERIOUS EFFECTS. New tariffs of a high protective nature have (says the Daily Mail) just come into force in Germany, Russia, Italy, and Austria, ail of whidh. axe calculated seriously to affect British trade. The most important of these tariffs is the German. This system has two aims — to favor the trade of countries which give Germany advantages, aiidi to hit tihe trade of countries which give Germany no special advantages. England, having now power of retaliating or .negotiating, falls into the second class. As a rnle, raw materials are rexy moderately taxed undeT the mew tariff, where they are not altogether exempted from taxation. But fully-manufaotured halfwoollen and wholly-woollen goods have the duties Taised between. 15 and 30 per cent. The duties on cotton manufactures have been raised about 30 per cent., and in some cases even more. As Germany claims the right to withdraw from England the most-favored nation treatment because Canada gives British goods a preference- in Canada, at only moment the duties* on British imports into Germany may be greatly increased to iSh& least-favored figure. The German returns show that the Briittish imports into GeTmany were in 1903 £29,700,000 in value. The German imports into England by the same returns were £49,000,000. The chief British manufactured goods exported to Gefrmany, according to the British (returns for 1904, vrewe : — Cottons, including yarn ...£4,900,000 Wollens 4,600,000 Machinery 1,900,000

Business Notices.