OTTAWA AGREEMENTS

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 17909, 13 October 1932, Page 11

OTTAWA AGREEMENTS

DETAILS RELEASED PREFERENCE TO DOMINIONS CONCESSIONS IN RETURN (British Official Wireless.) Rec. 3 p.m. RUGBY, Oct, 12. A message is released regarding the Imperial agreements at Ottawa. _ Imports hom Empire countries into the United Kingdom fall into three classes, namely, those accorded entry free of duty, subject to revision three years hence; those which are granted preference through the imposition of the specific duties on foreign gocids; and those which receive preference in virtue of the 10 per cent, ad valorem duty on foreign goods imposed under the Imports Duties Act.

In the first category are included eggs, poultry, butter, cheese, and other milk products from Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, Newfoundland, and Southern Rhodesia. Foreign goods in the second category, respecting which Parliament will be asked to impose specific duties set out in the schedules to the agreements, include wheat and grain, 2s per quarter; butter, 15s per cwt.; and cheese, 15 per cent, ad valorem. Schedules to the various agreements set out the details of other proposals. In the schedule to the Canadian agreement, goods specified include apples, pears, canned apples, dried fruits, eggs, and condensed milk.

Under the corresponding schedule in the Australian agreement are included, in addition to the above, powdered milk, honey, raw oranges, and grape fruits. The New Zealand agreement makes no additions to this list.

In regard to the modifications of import duties in the Dominion on articles imported from Britain, full particulars are given of the new rates imposed. Britain already enjoys a very large proportion of flic New Zealand trade. Under the new agreement the Dominion will undertake not to increase ' the primage duty, to lower still further the existing duties, to abolish the surtax on British goods, and to modify certain basic import duties.