FOREIGN TARIFFS

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 94, 11 December 1931, Page 5

FOREIGN TARIFFS

(Press Assn.—

INCREASES PREJUDICIAL TO BRITISH TRADE WIDE USE OP SURTAXES

-By Telegraph — Copyright).

Rec. Dec. 10, 7.10 p.m. LONDON, Wednesday. In the House of Commons Major L. Hore Belisha informed Sir Frederick Hall that the French Government, in reply to representations, justified the 15 per cent. surtax on British and Australian goods as the correetive of sterling depreciatian. Sir Frederick Hall said that when the franc stayed at 240 to the £ Great Britain did not do likewise. No reprisals should deter the imposition oi duties to protect British trade. Mr. Smithers (Conservative) said: "Will Mr. Runciman remind France of the amount we let them off in war debts ? " Sir E. Hilton Young, in answer to a question, said that apart from the French surtax, the following alterations in foreign tariffs were expected to effect British trade: — Italy, asurtax of 15 per cent. apart on coal and a few other items; Canada, customs duties calculated at the par of exchange; India, a surcharge of 25 per cent. on practically all import duties; Argentina, 10 per cent. ad valorem surtax on practically all commodities; South Africa, an additional 5 per cent ad valorem surtax on all importations. Tariff increases had also been imposed in Denmark, Finland, Poland, > and Uruguay.