Egypt Imposes New Duties on Fruit Imports

Manawatu Times, Volume LVI, Issue 5618, 6 April 1931, Page 10

Egypt Imposes New Duties on Fruit Imports

EFFECT SEEN PRINCIPALLY IN GREECE, CYPRUS AND PALESTINE. JERUSALEM. Palestine as well as Greece and Cyprus will be seriously affected b^ r the new prohibitive duties on fruit imposed by tho Egyptian Government to help local growers. Up to February 16, 1930, there had been a commercial agreement between Egypt and Palestine for the reciprocal grant of most-favoured-nation treatment to the produce of either territory. This policy having been denounced by the Egyptian Government, on the-day of its expiration a ncw_ Egyptian customs tariff came into force, which provided for a minimum scale of duties to be levied on imports from countries with which Egypt concluded a special agreement to that effect. A surtax of 100 per cent, was to be charged on imports from other countries. Negotiations by the Government of Palestine were successful in establishing that the minimum tariff should be applied to Palestine and Transpordan products. Within the minimum tariff which came into effect on February 16, there were, however, certain increases which adversely affected Palestine fruit exports, particularly melons, bananas, oranges and almonds. The duty on melons was raised from 6s to £1 on the ton, on bananas from £1 12s to £l2. Oranges instead of remaining duty free arc taxed £2 10s a ton and the duty on almonds is raised from £4 a ton to £7. In spite of the inducement advanced by tho Palestine Government that they were ready to accommodate the Egyptian Government in tho matter of Palestinc duties on certain commodities Which are principally imported from Egypt, it was maintained that . local conditions were such as to make it imperative for Egypt to place.prohibitive duties on foreign fruits.