TRADE ARRANGEMENT

Stratford Evening Post, Volume IV, Issue 223, 1 September 1936, Page 3

TRADE ARRANGEMENT

WITH BELGIUM. Concessions Granted To Dominion Goods. AGREEMPT MODIFIED. Press Association —Copyright. Wellington, August 31- ' Notification is given in a Gazette supplement of a modification, which will take effect on September 1, 1936, of the trade arrangement between New Zealand and Belgium, .vhich has been in operation sin-;e December, 1933. Under this arrangement New Zealand granted cor-essions in duty to certain classes of goods when imported from Belgium, including matches, bootlaces, carpets, moquettes, tapestry, tickings tother iian those containing wool), bicycle ty-es, glass and glassware, sensitised surfaces, firearms, lead and zinc. On the other hand Belgium undertook to admit certain New Zealand products, animal fats, hides, skins, wool, cheese, apples and phormium tenax at rates not higher than those specified, the three first mentioned items being free of duty.

j The present modification of the extenI sion of the original trade arrangement is I the culmination of negotiations institutj ed on behalf of Belgium early last year. | The matter \/as further discussed by Mr. J. G. Coates with the Belgian authorities ! during the visit made by him to Beli gium in July, 1935, and proposals were ! tentatively agreed. Certain modifications considered desirable from the point of view of New Zealand have since been made to the list of items involved under the agreement. New Zealand undertakes to remit the surtax on a number of items and in adj dition to admit some of them at reduced j rates of duty. In making such concessions, however, care has been taken to ! preserve, in conformity with the Ottawa j Agreement, the margin of British prefer- | ence of not less than 20 per cent, ad ! valorem or the existing margin where it j is lower than that figure, and in order I that such should be the case steps have | been taken to exempt from primage duty j the classes of goods affected which are j now admissible free under the British | preferential tariff. Goods. The following are the classes of goods | in respect of which concessions in duty have been made:— On Belgian goods:—ltems on which surtax only has been remitted (wine (other kinds), paper, cartridges, printing machines, metals, nails, pipes. Items on which surtax has been remitted and a reduction made in the rate of duty: Maizena and cornflour, cigars, wine (sparkling), gloves, belting for machinery, leather manufactures, glass (bevelled), cartridges (shot 10-24 bore), electrical machinery and appliances, batteries and cells other than storage batteries, machinery and machine tools, hydro extractors, weighing.' machines, industrial machinery, cast, iron pipes (n.e.i.), centrifuguery, cast iron pipes over six inches to 12 inches diameter, pipe fittings of brass, electrical appliances (n.e.i.). In each case the surtax remitted | amounts to nine-fortieths of the duty, except in respect of cigars and shot cartridges (10-24 bore), in which cases the surtax is one-twentieth of the duty

Following are the items from which primage duty has been removed in respect of goods admissible under the British preferential tariff: Maizena, cornflour, belting for machinery, etc., paper cartridges (ball .22 calibre), electrical machinery and appliances, machinery (machine tools and appliances), industrial machinery, metals, nails, tacks, etc., pipes, tubes and tubing. Belgium has undertaken to admit the following products imported from New Zealand at rates not higher than those indicated: Honey (natural), 60 francs per 100 kilos nctt weight; sausage casings, salt, fresh or dried, free; kauri gums, free; casein, free.