DUTY INCREASED

Taranaki Daily News, 23 April 1932, Page 5

DUTY INCREASED

BRITISH IMPORT LEVIES

THE GENERAL RATE DOUBLED OPERATION FROM MONDAY HIGH RATES ON LUXURIES EXTENSIVE FIELD. .COVERED By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright. Rec. 7.10 p.m. London, April 21. The Treasury has issued the first report of the Import Duties Advisory Committee imposing extra duties on a wide range of articles, mainly manufactured, to come into operation at midnight on Monday. The main proposal is to raise the present general rate of 10 per cent, to 20 per cent. The committee explains that it is unable to make a detailed examination of each class of imports and had to rely on general information in order to cover as wide a field as possible and prevent a possible revival of abnormal importations. The committee points out that the 50 per cent, duty which was levied under the Abnormal Importations Act was intended to be practically prohibitive. The safeguarding duties of 33 1-3 per cent, applied to only a few selected commodities, and the committee could not generalise therefrom regarding the effect of the duties applied to a large section of industry. The committee therefore decided to work on the lines of a general additional duty of 10 per cent, with a lower rate on certain products where special considerations arose and higher rates on luxuries and semi-luxuries. The 20 per cent, category includes certain canned vegetables, most pottery, glassware, metal furniture, cutlery, machinery, tools, electrical goods, textiles, apparel, boots, shoes, saddlery, paper, rubber manir factures, brooms and brushes. The 15 per cent, category includes agricultural machinery and tools and a considerable range of building materials. The 25 per cent, category includes fruit pulp, photographic paper, leather trunks and sports goods, and the 30 per cent, category includes oysters, caviare, toilet preparations, artificial flowers, furs, jewellery and silversmith’s wares.

-The committee recommend an additional duty of 23i per cent., making a total of 331-3 per cent., for the minimum check on abnormal importations until the com mittee has had time to consider and submit a more permanent scheme.

The committee emphasises that the present proposals are provisional but will not recommend any reductions during the coming twelve months. It is noteworthy that few agricultural products are included. The Conservative Press welcomes the new tariffs. The Times says the scheme gives the impression that the Government is developing the tariff policy with moderation and resolution.

The Daily Herald (Labour) says that when the full effects of the new burdens on the consumer and the housewife are felt the electors will demand penance.

The News-Chronicle (Liberal) describes the duties as a disaster and demands a prompt announcement that Britain is willing to remove or lower them in favour of any nation willing to do the same. “Otherwise the blow to our export trade may be irremediable,” the paper adds. Wool manufactures come under the 20 per cent, ad valorem duty and yarns under the 10 per cent. .Thus the duty on these is reduced from the 50 per cent, imposed under the Abnormal Importations Act on November 20. The Colonial Secretary has telegraphed to the sugar producing colonies explaining the. details of the special preference of one shilling a hundredweight as outlined in the Budget on 275,000 tons for 1932-33, which is more than the actual imports of colonial sugar last year.. Each colonial Government divides the detailed allocation of sugar for special preference among its own producers, but the Colonial Office has fixed the total of each colony, allocating Mauritius .95,400 tons, British Guiana 46,900 and Fiji the third highest with 40,400 tons.