HC Deb 24 March 1937 vol 321 cc2898-9
80. Mr. Granville Gibson

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that Article 12 of the trade agreement between His Majesty's Government and the Government of Canada, dated 23rd February, 1937, provides that if goods are dumped either in the United Kingdom by Canada or in Canada by the United Kingdom each Government agrees not to impose any special dumping duties on the goods of the other country; and whether, as experience has shown that the dumping of goods is usually done from Canada into this country and not from this country into Canada, more effective steps to prevent dumping in this country of Canadian goods will be devised?

Captain Euan Wallace (Secretary, Overseas Trade Department)

Article 12 of the United Kingdom-Canadian Agreement of 23rd February, 1937, provides for action by His Majesty's Government in Canada in cases where it can be shown that Canadian goods are being dumped in the United Kingdom market. These provisions have for their object the restoration of fair trading conditions in cases of the kind referred to by my hon. Friend in the second part of his question, and I have no reason to suppose that they will not be effective.

Mr. Lyons

Can my right hon. and gallant Friend tell me whether the action to which he referred will be action through the machinery of the Canadian Tariff Board?

Captain Wallace

I think that my hon. and learned Friend would do well to refer to the Budget speech of the Minister of Finance in Canada, and he will see that His Majesty's Government in Canada are determined to see that fair trading conditions are observed.

Mr. Lyons

I asked only about the machinery.

Mr. Gibson

Does not my right hon. and gallant Friend think that a less dilatory manner of settling these difficulties would be to pass legislation restricting the dumping of manufactured goods into this country below the selling price in the country of origin?

Captain Wallace

I think it would be a great mistake for us to throw any doubt on the intentions of the Canadian Government to put this matter right, when it is only a month since the Treaty was signed.