EARL of RONALDSHAYasked the Secretary of State if he would say in which year the Russian surtax was first imposed on Indian tea; what were the reasons given by Russia for imposing it; and if the surtax was still in force?
§ Sir E. GREYThe Russian surtax was imposed on 5th September, 1903, on Indian and Ceylon teas entering Russia by way of Europe, the Russian Government holding that the action of His Majesty's Government in prohibiting the importation of Russian sugar, on the ground of its being bounty fed, was a violation of the most-favoured-nation treatment guaranteed by the Anglo-Russian Commercial Treaty. The surtax was repealed on 18th August, 1908, in anticipation of the removal of the prohibition of the importation of Russian sugar into the United Kingdom.