ANGLO-U.S. TRADE

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 67, 11 December 1937, Page 5

ANGLO-U.S. TRADE

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Dangers of Rigid Agreement Stressed SAFEGUARD OF, EMPIRE

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(Received 11, 8.45 a.m.) LONDON, Dec. 10. In a statement to the Prime Minister regarding the Anglo-American trade negotiations, the Federation of British industries stresses the danger of any rigid agreement respecting tariff levels, and draws attention to the necessity oi avoiding action which would undermine the present systern of preferential intra. imperial trade. "So far as the Dominions are concerned, it is presumed that the United States will press for additional openings for lier agricultural products in United Kingdoni markets, and it is reasonable to assume that any concessjgns of this type must tend to divert a proportion of United Kingdom imports from the Dominions to the United States. "The danger of this is tlireefold — first, the United Kingdom may become a duinping-ground for United States surplus goods and other agricultural produce; secondly, the Dominions will' strive to secure offsetting concessions, both in British and American markets ; thirdly, there may, in the procesg of negotiations, be a whittling away by specialisation of tariff rates of the preterences enjoyed by United Kingdom manufacturers in Dominion markets under the Ottawa agreements."