IMPORT LICENSING

Manawatu Standard, Volume LXI, Issue 198, 23 July 1941, Page 6

IMPORT LICENSING

» ALLOCATIONS FOR 1942. ■ INFLUENCE OF WAR NEEDS (Press Assn.) WELLINGTON, July 23, Details of allocations for licenses tc import in 1942 aro announced l>> 1 1 Hon. \V. Nash. Minister of Customs, i Provision is being made at this stage, I said Mr Nash, in consideration of re- ! presentations made by manufacturers ■J who, in view of the difficulty and delays . I being experienced in obtaining goods. , j more particularly from the United 1 Kingdom but also from other countries, 1 desire the opportunity to place, orders ! for materials overseas as soon as pos- • jsible in order to ensure that supplies i wil ! available when required in 1942. I The Government are anxious to asj sist manufacturers in this connection las far as circumstances will permit, ' added Mr Nash, but licenses must be j related to funds available and, in view of the uncertainty attaching to our export trade under existing conditions, it would bo appreciated that any allocaI tions now made as a charge against : funds likely to become available in j 1942, but of which no reliable estimate I can at present be made, must be kept i within reasonable limits. Further than that, said the Minister, ! apart from the charges in the form of | interest on overseas loans, etc., normally to be met from such funds, there will be heavy additional corum-it- ! ments in respect of imports by the State for defence purposes and provision is also necessary to meet some of the costs ol maintenance of our forces overseas. Licenses issued for imports during • the present year, said Mr Nash, have ' exceeded the amount for which it had | been proposed to issue licenses, but it ; is known that, in view of the difficulty now met in obtaining certain classes of goods overseas, a considerable portion | of the licenses will not come to charge j proir to the end of the year, j The whole position has been carefully ' considered, continued Mr Nash, and it i has been decided that, in the circum--1 stances, the best course to take is to extend 1941 licenses into 1942 and to 1 make such additional allocation for 1942 as conditions will permit. I The 1941 licenses will be valid for imports up to June 30, 1942, but not later, in certain cases it might be found impossible under existing conditions to obtain the goods for which a license j has been granted. In such cases it is | particularly desired that the licenses should be surrendered immediately the I position is known in order that as com--1 plcte a record as possible may be had of the licenses in respect of which it is necessary to provide funds. BASIS OF ALLOCATION. Licenses for the 1942 allocation which is now being made will be granted on the following basis: — Items in group A.—Allocation for im- , ports from the United Kingdom and j Crown Colonies only will be granted up to 50 per cent, of the value of licenses granted for imports from those sources in 1940. j Items in group A A.—-Allocation for imports from the United Kingdom and I “other British” countries will be granted up to 50 per cent, of the value of ' licenses granted for imports from those I sources in 1940. | Items in group B. —Allocation for j imports from all sources will be grant!ed up to 50 per cent, of the value of ; licenses granted for imports from those sources in 1940. items in group BB.—Allocation for imports from all sources will be granted up to 100 per cent, of the value ot licenses granted lor imports from those sources in 1940. Items in group (J. —Items now re-j gartled as “control' and lor which applications will be considered individually. Items in group D. —items for which no allocation is made. The items included in the various! groups are indicated 4>y the appropriate group letter in the schedule. J In respect of a small number of I items, it lias been necessary as a result of no separate allocation having been provided in 1940 lor Lie particular goods m question, or lor sonic other reason, to relate the allocation lor 1942 lo licenses granted in iy-ii. Vv here this has been done tbo schedule is noted accordingly, togetlter with any other variations. It should be understood that, the allocations grant- , ed during 1940 or 1941, as the case may be, on wmek the 1U42 allocations are based will exclude allocations granted in consideration of some special condition such as “No remittance,” “Deterred payment” or “He-i I placement ol goods iost,” etc. I KFQuEsIS rOR TRANSFERS. I Owing to complications arising out of tiic difficult supply pos.tion due to I the war it is not possible to give any | general permission lor the transier ot i 1 authorisations from one country to an-; other, requests lor any such transfer i will require to be considered individu-j ally. Yvnero transfer was permitted in 1 1940 or 1941, basic ulJocaLon for 1942 will be granted only tor the country in respect of which the license was originally granted in 1940 or 1941. 1. would like to repeat, added Mr Nash, that these allocations are being provided at the present time lor the express purpose of enabling orders to | be placed overseas, mure particularly j 'in the United Kingdom, ui order'to! i give reasonable prosjiect of the goods i being delivered in 1942. I It is not intended that the licenses : should be utilised to arrange for imports prior to 1942 and it is not desired that that should bo done as it may involve a charge on our funds this year which might give rise to some difficulty. I ilie issue of further licenses for the filth period (year 1941) will cease as irom the end of the present month. | in urgent cases, special consideration will be given to applications lor licenses to obtain goods which are at present unavailable and which aro; vital and essential to the maintenance of the life of the Dominion. The urgent necessity under existing conditions of cutting down our imports j to an absolute minimum will, 1 think,! be generally recognised, concluded Mr I Nash. The Mother Country has appealed to us most strongly to economise to j the utmost in order that the smallest j possible drain might be made on thoi resources available lor prosecution of | the war. There should be no necessity, he said, to stress the vital need lor this.