BRITISH GOODS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19200, 17 June 1924, Page 8

BRITISH GOODS.

Tilt PREFERENCE CERTIFICATE. PRESENT REGULATIONS ATTACKED. (From Our Own Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, June 16. At . to-day’s meeting of the Association of British Manufacturers the president (Mr .1. H. Scott) attacked the present regulations governing the issue of the preference certificate, for British goods. “This does not assist and expand Brtain’s trade with New Zealand as it should.” ho declared. 'There is a very low percentage of British labour and material required in the preference certificate endorsed in our invoices Twenty-five per cent., as required by the regulation now in force, is very useful to the merchant who can legally land articles as British and pay duty at the minimum rates which contain 75 per cent, of foreign labour and 25 per cent, of British materials it enables foreign machinery capable of being equipped with certain British components to evade the payment of the maximum duties. Under the existing certificate the manufacturer of any foreign motor car can qualify his vehicle to enter New Zealand as a British product so far as payment of duty is concerned. A German car equipped with body and tyres made in England would, under the existing preference certificate, be legally qualified to enter New Zealand, paying the same duty as on an English car. Cars manufactured to the extent of 75 per cent, in U.S.A. and 25 per cent, in Canady have the same privilege. There are other instances in hardware, machinery and soft goods. The effect of the low percentage is to produce another difficulty.”