U.S. EXPORTERS PROTEST.

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 660, 13 January 1933, Page 1

U.S. EXPORTERS PROTEST.

British Action Arouses Keen Resentment. United Press Assn.—By Electric Telegraph— Copyright. WASHINGTON, January 11. A strong move by the United’States grain exporters has resulted in the State Department announcing that it reserves the right to protest against the recent refusal of the United Kingdom to grant the preferential rate on Canadian grain transhipped from the United States. The Department also reserves the right to protest against any other developments of the Ottawa Conference. The move by the grain exporters crystallised to-day with a conference between one of the Assistant Secretaries of State, Mr J. G. Rogers, and representatives of the North Atlantic grain exporting agencies and officials of State and municipal agencies. The grainmen contended that the new regulation would have the effect of diverting grain now shipped by American carriers through American elevators to Canadian seaports, Montreal, Halifax and St John. The United Kingdom ruling arose out of the recent Ottawa Imperial Conference, by which Canadian grain to get the preferential tariff rate must be shipped through Canadian ports.

On December 21 it was announced that the English Customs Department had decided that preference under the Ottawa Act could not be accorded to a test shipment of Canadian wheat to Liverpool, via New York. The Customs authorities contended that while the Canadian origin was undisputed, there was no evidence that the wheat was definitely consigned to Britain when it left Canada.