BRITISH TRADE

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 90, 7 December 1931, Page 6

BRITISH TRADE

(British Official Wireless)

effect of tariffs IMPORTS OF AFFECTED GOODS ALMOST COMPLETELY STOPPED J FOREIGN DISCRIMINATION

] RUGBY, Fridayl --> The Hoqse of Commons to-day 4iscussed and carried a motion approving tbe. recent orders by the Board of Trade under the Abnormal Importations Act imposing a 50 per cent. ad valorem duty on various qlasses of imports. Mgijor R. Hore Belisha, Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Trade, said the orders had been exceedingly eifective, and imports had; practically ceased. Since the operation of the qrders only £35,000 had been taken iii customs duties, which showed how , insignificant had been the importa- ; "tjon of these articles. v Answering criticism, which came mainly from the Labour benches, Mr. Walter Runciman, President of the Board of Trade, pointed out that the policy of excluding certain articles was dictated solely by the need of lessening the strain upon Great Britain's purchasing capacity abroad, which was caused by importations far in excess of recent experience, and the orders were general and not directed against any country or countries. He denied that the policy was likely to lead to international friction, and reminded the House that the French decree imposing a 15 per qent. discriminatory duty preceded the announcement of action by the British Government. y Dealing with the French decree Mr. Runciman said it was against all experts from Great Britain to France and not merely against coal. The British Government was amazed to find that Great Britain was not to receive most favoured nation treatment which she had received from France for two generations although there had been no treaty obligation, and that France was even discriminating against her. ,, The attention of th"e French Government. hgd . been . . drawn to the matter~ i Referring to increases in tariffs which were shutting out British goods from former markets, Mr. Runciman said the British Governments had made successive appeals against these barriers, but despite the findings of the World Economic Conference of 1927 being endorsed by the representatives of over 50 countries they f ound their protests useless and were met always by the same reply that the internal interests of a country piust be the first consideration of its Government. That was the reply he made to-day. The method of persuasion had proved useless.. ■£ Mr. Runciman added: "I wish it to clearly understood abroad as well as at home that if we are to be hit as wa recently have been hit by the French decree we cannot ignore it. "I hope we shall be able to adjust our differenc&s in a friendly way, but discrimination against this country is a thing which we look on with the greatest seriousness. Were it to ^pread it would be so damaging to British interests that we could not afford not to take notice of it." \ The motion was carried, the voting being: — Ayes, 230; Noes, 38. Major- ( ^ T, 192.