OTTAWA DISCUSSIONS

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 273, 13 July 1932, Page 5

OTTAWA DISCUSSIONS

(Press. Assn.—

PROVISIONAL PROGRAMME COMMUNJCATED TO DOMINION MANY IMPORTANT QUESTIONS

-By Telegraph — Copyright).

WELLINGTON, Tuesday. The Prime Minister (Rt. Hon. G. W. Forbes) has been advised by the Cana- ! dian Government' that as a result of . discussions which have been proceed- I ■ ing for several months past between • His Majesty's Governments, it has ■ been agreed that economic questions o.f general importance to various parts of the British Commonwealth might be conveniently discussed under th'e following general headings which will constitute a provisional agenda for the Imperial Economic Conference opening at Ottawa on July ; 21. (a) General trade questions, i.e. Examination of aspects of general trade j and tariff policies and administration : affecting Empire trade, including, in- j ter alia, the following subjects (1) • Recognition of the principle of recir | procal tariff preferences within the ; 5 Commonwealth (2) General apnlication of existing and future tariff preferences within the Commonwealth. (3) Extension to other parts of the Commonwealth of the tariff advantages accorded foreign countries (4) Determination of- the percentage of j "Empire content" necessary to secure S preferential tariff treatment. (5) Ex- * port hounties and anti-dumping duty within the Commonwealth'. j (b) Commercial treaty policy with , respect to foreign countries including, I inter alia: (1) Relation of inter-Im- J perial preferences to eoncessions to i foreign countries. (2) Interpretation } of the most-favoured-nation elause, • particularly with reference to the de- j velopment of regional preferences and of systems of import quotas. (c) Consideration of an appropriate hasis and means of effecting interImperial economic co-op'eration including a review of existing agencies, examination of the report of the Imperial Economic Committee on industrial co-operation, and discussion of communications and of research and standardisation. (d) Monetary and financial questions. Consideration 6f the existing inter -relationship of the various currencies and monetary standards of the Empire and of the desirability and feasibility of taking steps to restore and stabilise a general price level and exchange. (e) Negotiations of trade agreements.