HC Deb 26 July 1900 vol 86 c1343
GENERAL LAURIE

I beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury whether, seeing that the Tariff Law passed by the German Reichstag, pending the negotiations for the Commercial Treaty with the British Empire, specially excluded Canada and Barbados from the most-favoured-nation treatment for their products, on the grounds that Canada and Barbados had specially given preferential advantages under their tariff laws to the British Empire, and had not admitted other countries to these advantages; whether he is aware that this discrimination against the products of Canada, which was enacted because Canada had, as above stated, discriminated in favour of the mother country, has diminished the importation of Canadian products into Germany; and whether there is any intention to offer her any compensating advantages in trade.

MR. A. J. BALFOUR

I have no accurate information as regards the grounds on which the Government have taken action, nor as to the effect of that action on the imports from Canada to Germany. As regards the last paragraph of the question, my hon. friend is probably aware that the exports of Canada to this country are already free.