GERMAN TARIFF.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXII, Issue 1728, 20 April 1906, Page 3

GERMAN TARIFF.

EFFECT ON COLONIAL PRODUCE

London, March 2, Yesterday tho new German Customs tariff oame into foroe, and its effect can hardly fail to bo a powerful one. Even New Zealand will not osoape tho oluteh of its wide tentacles. One section of tho new Customs law empowers the Government to plaoe a surtax ranging up to 100 per cent of the ordinary tariff duties on dutiable goods proceeding from States that

treat German ships or produota less favorably than those of other nations. In the oase of duty-free goods a special tax may be levied up to 50 per oent of the value, Besides this penalty tariff, the Customs law provides for two other kinds of tariff. One known as the “general” tariff consists of relatively high rates of duty, and is meaot to be used by the German Government for bargaining purposes. The other is known as the " conventional ” tariff, and is the result of commercial treaties with the central European Powira In maDy cases the rates of duty are muoh lower undor tho " conventional ’’ than under the “ general ” tariff. As Germany has at prosent twenty-eight “ mo.-4 favored nation ” treat’os as well as most favored nation agreements with other countries, the “conventional ” tariff is a'rrost general in its application, and applies also to British oxportß, Now, under the old tariff, frozen meat had to pay a duty of 7s 6J per owt., under the new " Conventional ” tariff it will pay 13s fid, and undor the new “ general ” tariff no loss than 22s 61 per owt. There are similar rolativo increases in the duties on wheat, oats, ftu ! t, chilled beef, bacon, efc. There are other productions in whioh New Zealand will be hit by the now duties. Wool, for instance, will bo direct j affected. The British woollen industry will also bo worse off than over. Under the old tariff the duties amounted to as muoh as £lO per owt. on some kinds of woollen goods. The increases under the new tariff vary from 15 to 30 per oent. As the total annual export trade of woollen goods to Germany is valued at well over £3,000,000 the effect of the new duties must be moro serious.

AgaiD, tbo duties against leather goods —boots and shots —especially have been greatly raised, and British boot and shoe manufacturers, badly bit though they were by the old tariff, aro bound to suffer more severely still. Thus while under the old tariff British leather manufacturers, ohiefly boots and shoes, paid German duties of 25s to 32s per owt., the duties under the new 11 conventional ” tariff will be 30s to 455, and under the new

“ general ” tariff 42s 6d to 90s. Tnese appear to be absolutely prohibitive, and hero again New Zsaland products may fsel the iofluenoe, as hides and leather can hardly fail to be adversely affected. It need hardly be said that this German move is beiog aotively worked in England as an argument in favor of fisoal reform, at any rate to the extent of re. taliatory duties.—Wellington Post,