TRADE WITH RUSSIA

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 950, 17 April 1930, Page 11

TRADE WITH RUSSIA

FAR-REACHING AGREEMENT SIGNED FAVOURED-NATION POLICY British Official Wireless Reed. Noon. RUGBY, Wednesday. Mr. Arthur Henderson, Foreign Secretary, and M. Sokolnikoff, Russian Ambassador, this afternoon signed, in the Cabinet Room of the Foreign Office, a temporary commercial agreement between the Russian and the British Governments. . It is agreed that the parties will accord most-favoured-nation treatment to the subjects, citizens and juridical persons, and the national produce and manufactures of each other. Following are the exceptions: First, the special provisions relating to trade contained in the treaties concluded by the Soviet Union with the States which, in August, 1914, formed an integral part of the former Russian Empire, and with Continental border States in Asia. Secondly, the rights accorded to any third country forming a part of the Customs Union with the Soviet Union, and thirdly, privileges accorded by the Soviet Union to border States witTT respect to local trade between inhabitants of frontier zones. TRADE DELEGATION The British Government agrees, in view of State monopoly of foreign trade in Russia, to accord to the Soviet Government the right to establish, in Great Britain, a trade delegation consisting of a trade representative and his two deputies forming part of the Soviet Embassy. These three persons are to be accorded all diplomatic privileges and immunities and similar immunity shall attach to the offices occupied by the trade delegation and used exclusively for its commercial functions, which shall be to facilitate and encourge the development of trade between the two countries and to represent the interests of the Soviet Union in all that pertains to tlie trade delegation. They shall be responsible for all transactions conby the trade representative and persons authorised by him, but not for aefs of State, economic organisations, except when such responsibility has been clearly accepted by the trade representative. The names of the trade representative and the persons employed to represent him shall be periodically published In the Board of Trade Journal. Any questions arising from commercial transactions entered into in this country by the trade delegation shall be settled by the British Courts. National treatment is accorded in an agreement concerning vessels, cargoes and passengers of each country.