IMPORT LICENCES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27212, 15 October 1949, Page 8

IMPORT LICENCES

Schedule For 1950 Released CANADA AND UNITED STATES ON HALF-YEARLY BASIS The general procedure for the Issue of import licences for 1950, said the Minister of Finance, Mr Nash in a statement made yesterday, is similar to that adopted for the 1949 period. Licences will cover the period January 1 to December 31, 1950, but will be available for imports up to February 28, 1951. Basic allocations have been provided wherever this has been found practicable and, with a view to eliminating the necessity to apply for additional licences, such allocations have in most cases been related to licences granted for imports in 1949.

As is doubtless fully recognised, said Mr Nash, the necessity to conserve overseas funds to meet essential import requirements still exists. It is yet too early, he added, to judge the effect which the recent adjustment in the value of the £ sterling to the dollar might have on the cost of certain imports, as well as on the return which New Zealand might receive from exports, particularly wool. In the circumstances, he saia, it will be evident that there is no scope for any general extension of the issue of licences. Own Resources First It would, nevertheless, be the policy, said Mr Nash, to provide for essential needs, and all the overseas funds available for that purpose will be utilised. Under existing conditions, however, it was more than ever necessary to utilise our own resources to a maximum, and ■so long as goods from our own factories are reasonably competitive in price and quality with imported goods and could be produced in New Zealand in sufficient quantity to meet requirements licences would not be granted for imports. Accordingly, .There was great opportunity for manufacturers in New Zealand to cater for our needs where there was scope for efficient production. Mr Nash said that he was pleased to note the extent to which a number of industries had developed, and, although production in certain industries had been limited through difficulties, in connection with availability of raw materials and labour, he hoped that such difficulties would in due course be overcome.

It would be unnecessary for him to stress, said Mr Nash, the particular difficulty regarding imports from what are known as hard currency areas. Although an endeavour would be made to provide for essential imports from those areas within the limitations imposed by the available amount of the currency of those countries, special care was necessary to ensure that the drain on such funds was reduced to a minimum. Accordingly, basic allocations will not apply to imports from Canada, the United States of America, Belgium or Switzerland, and any applications for licences to import from those countries ’would be considered individually. There was. he said, an obligation on importers to assist by limiting as far as practicable applications for licences to import from those areas.

With respect to Imports from Canada and the United States, a system of half-yearly licences is introduced, this being necessary in order to enable a closer control over commitments of dollar funds to be maintained. Licences on those countries will be issued for the half-yearly periods January 1, 1950, to June 30, 1950, and July 1, 1950, to December 31, 1950. In the meantime it is proposed to grant licences for the first half-yearly period only. Importers may, however, submit now applications covering each half-yearly period.

They should indicate on the application the date by which it is ex‘pected that shipment will be made and as to the arrangements regarding payment for the goods—i.e., whether payment is to be made at time of shipment or subsequently. If there are special reasons which would warrant the granting immediately of a licence for goods to be imported after June 30, 1950—e.g., to enable an order to be placed for a particular machine to be manufactured—a statement as to the position should be submitted with the application. Limitation of Payments

It is desired that payments to the dollar area over the period ending June 1, 1950, should be kept as low as possible, and importers would be assisting by refraining from making imports or payments during that period if it can be avoided without detriment to essential interests.

The procedure of granting licences for token imports from the United Kingdom, which was instituted in 1949, will be continued in 1950. Some additions are made to the items covered by such arrangement, and a list of these may be procured from Collectors of Customs,, from whom copies of the'licensing schedule may also be obtained. The numeration of items in the licensing schedule has been brought into line with that in the recently issued tariff book. Importers are requested to ensure that their applications conform to the item numbers as shown in the schedule.