§ 16. Mr. LUNNasked the President of the Board of Trade what is the amount of import duty on bituminous coal from Great Britain into Germany, the United States of America, Argentina, and the Netherlands?
§ Lieut.-Colonel J. COLVILLE (Secretary, Overseas Trade Department)United Kingdom coal is now free of import duty in each of the four countries mentioned.
§ 17. Mr. LUNNasked the President of the Board of Trade what is the amount of import duty levied on bituminous coal from Great Britain into Canada and also into South Africa; and whether any additional preference was secured for British coal at the Ottawa Conference?
§ Lieut.-Colonel COLVILLEThe import duties levied on United Kingdom bituminous coal in Canada and the Union of South Africa, are 35 cents and 3s. per short ton respectively. Under the Trade Agreement with Canada, an additional preference of 10 cents per ton was 1405 accorded to anthracite coal from this country, in which class of coal the majority of our trade with Canada is done, but there was no increase in the preference on bituminous coal. There are practically no imports of coal into South Africa, and no tariff preference for coal was provided for in the Agreement with the Union.
§ Mr. LUNNCan the hon. and gallant Gentleman tell the House how it is possible to sell British coal to British Dominions when conditions are so much against us?
§ Lieut.-Colonel COLVILLEIn anthracite coal, which forms the greatest proportion of our trade with Canada, we secured an actual preference, which is much more valuable than the free entry that is the position in other countries.