§ 25. Mr. RANKINasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, in view of the difficulty in carrying out the regulations now required by the customs to obtain preference for Canadian wheat shipped through American ports, he will consider the desirability of altering these regulations so as to enable all wheat of proved Empire growth consigned by any route to the United Kingdom to be admitted free of all customs duty?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINUnder the Ottawa Agreements Act, 1932, Canadian wheat is admitted free of duty, provided that it is shown to the satisfaction of the Commissioners of Customs to have been consigned to the United Kingdom from a part of the British Empire. The mere transit of such wheat through United States ports enroute to the United Kingdom does not debar the wheat from preference, provided that it is shown to have been definitely consigned from Canada to this country. I would remind my hon. Friend that consignment from a part of the Empire has been a general 1906 condition of the grant of preference ever since the Imperial Preference system was introduced in 1919, and I am afraid that I cannot accept his suggestion that this condition should now be waived in the case of particular goods.