WHAT NEW ZEALAND GIVES.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LII, Issue 270, 14 October 1932, Page 9

WHAT NEW ZEALAND GIVES.

TARIFF POLICY. ADJUSTMENT OF DUTIES. The changes in duties levied on United Kingdom manufactures, which Now Zealand agreed to make, are as follow: Confectionery, reduced from 30 per cent, to 271 per cent. Apparel and ready-made clothing, reduced from 32J per cent, to 2<4 per cent. Hosiery, reduced from 321 per cent, to 274 P el ' cent. Silk and artificial silk piece goods, reduced from 10 per cent, to free. 1 have dealt ' with the concessions which, by virtue of the Ottawa agreement, the United Kingdom Government extend to New Zealand and have sketched the position in regard to meat, Mr Coates continued. I now turn to the changes in the New Zealand Customs tariff to which we agree. Generally, our undertaking 18 that “protection by tariffs shall be afforded against United Kingdom products only to those industries which are reasonably assured of sound opportunities lor success.” We agree to institute an enquiry into existing protective duties (at which enquiry United Kingdom producers will have facilities lor expressing their views) and where necessary we will reduce protective duties to such a level as will place the United Kingdom producer in the position of a domestic competitor—that is, to quote the text of the agreement, they will be reduced to a level “which will give the United Kingdom producer full opportunity of reasonable competition on the basis of the relative cost of economical and efficient production.” Generally our understanding is that protection by tariffs shall be afforded against products of tire United Kingdom only to those industries which are reasonably assured of sound opportunities for success. We agree to institute an inquiry into existing protective duties (at which inquiry United Kingdom producers will have facilities for expressing their views), and where necessary we will reduce protective duties to such a level as will place the United Kingdom producer in the position of a domestic competitor. We agree also to remove at once the surtax oil goods produced in the Untied Kingdom and, when financial conditions permit, to remove the primage duty of 3 per cent, ad valorem. These were imposed, it will l>e recalled, for revenue purposes and not for the protection of local industries.,

Turning now to the detailed changes in our Customs tariff, to which we are committed by the Ottawa agreement, and which will he placed before the House to-night in the form of Customs resolutions.

New Zealand undertakes to abolish immediately the surtax on goods produced in the United Kingdom and when financial conditions permit to remove the primage duty of 3 per cent, ad valorem.

The Dominion also agrees to the following changes in duties levied on British manufactures: —Confectionery: Reduced from 30 per cent, to 274 per cent. Apparel and readymade clothing: Reduced from 324 per per cent, to 27 per cent. Hosiery: Reduced from 324 per cent, to 274 per cent. Silk and artificial silk piece goods: Reduced from 10 per cent, to free.

'l’lie above is the whole list, Air Coates said. It is not extensive. Moreover, it is to lie noted that by legislation passed by Parliament in 1931, the duty on apparel and hosiery was already to bo reduced to 274 P er cent, as from April 1, 1933, and the dutv on silk piece goods was to be abolished as from that date. As far as those items are concerned, therefore, the result of the Ottawa agreement is merely to anticipate by a few months tariff changes which have already been approved by. the Legislature.