HC Deb 26 May 1892 vol 4 cc1884-5
SIR J. LUBBOCK (London University)

I beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade whether there would be any objection to state to the House the present state of the negotiations with Brazil as regards the preferential treatment accorded to the United States, and with the United States as regards the preferential treatment accorded to Brazil?

SIR F. MAPPIN (York, W.R., Hallamshire)

had notice of the following question: To ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he is aware that, in consequence of a Treaty, ratified in April, 1891, between the respective Governments of the United States of America and Brazil, goods from the former country are admitted into the latter country duty free, while the same description of English goods are subject to a duty varying from fifteen to twenty-five per cent.; and whether any steps are being taken by the English Government to place the manufactures of this country upon the same favourable footing?

THE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS (Mr. J. W. LOWTHER,) Cumberland, Penrith

Perhaps the hon. Member for Hallamshire will permit me at the same time to answer his question. On the 19th February I answered a question of a similar character put by the hon. Member for North Manchester. I then informed him that communications had been made to the Government of Brazil, but that that Government had not been willing to enter into negotiations for a Commercial Treaty with this country; and I have nothing to add to that answer. With regard to the last sentence of the hon. Baronet's question, which only appeared on the Paper this morning, I have to say that no preferential treatment is being accorded by the United States to Brazil. No differential treatment is accorded to British goods as compared with Brazilian, and consequently no negotiations have been entered into on that subject.

SIR J. LUBBOCK

Do I understand that Brazil is accorded no preferential treatment by the United States?

MR. J. W. LOWTHER

The position of the matter is this: that Brazil gives preferential treatment to the United States as compared with goods which go from this country to Brazil; and the United States gives no preferential treatment to Brazil as compared with goods that go from this country to the United States.