CUSTOMS ON EXPORTS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 3, 4 June 1913, Page 2

CUSTOMS ON EXPORTS.

A NEW SCHEME OF VALUING. Per Press Association! Wellington, Monday. A better system of valuing exports for Customs duty purposes has been urged by the Wellington Chamber of Commerce for some time. The president (Mr. A. E. Mabin) stated at to-day's meeting that Mr. W. B. Montgomery, Secretary of Customs, had recently been in Australia, and when he returned he was interviewed regarding the inatter, Mr. Montgomery had intimated that he purposed asking the Chamlfer to supply a schedule of the values of''the chief articles of export at the beginning of each month, to hold for that month, subject to alteration of prices. , Mr. Mabin had pointed out the difficulties which arose under the system, inasmuch as exporters did not always put the true f.o.b. value. Then, too, it was difficult to put a value on produce sold under contract for forward delivery. It might be that goods were being sold under contract at prices quite different to the current values. Then there was the difficulty of valuing exports sent on consignment, and'he pointed out that the methods suggested by Mr. Montgomery would not overcome these objections. At Mr. Mabin's suggestion the Secretary of Customs has decided to keep in touch with certain export firms, and ask them to supply the Department with reliable prices for products in whicli they .deal. Thus meat companies would- be consulted"' for - the •values of meat, wools and tallow, some ' of the principal wool-buyers for the average value of their purchases, so. that the sale of wools and consignment of wools could be assessed. Dairy produce would be dealt with in a similar manner. Hemp would be declared on the actual invoice value, and generally on such lines a : truer value of each item of export could be arrived at.