§ 1. Sir C. Osborneasked the President of the Board of Trade if he is aware that British plastics going into America pay a 40 per cent. duty, whereas American plastics coming to Great Britain only pay a 10 per cent. duty; and since America has a favourable trade balance with this country of about £250 million a year, if he will take steps to make these duties equal; and if he will make a statement.
§ The President of the Board of Trade (Mr. Douglas Jay)The Government are at present engaged on the Kennedy Round of tariff negotiations in the G.A.T.T., in which their object is to secure a general reduction of tariffs on a reciprocal basis. While these negotiations are in progress we cannot consider a unilateral increase in our duties on plastics.
§ Sir C. OsborneIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that a general reduction under the Kennedy Round will not help us at all? Will he tell the American Government that unless they reduce their tariffs to our levels we can never obtain the dollars with which to pay for the American goods that they want to sell us?
§ Mr. JayI sympathise with the hon. Gentleman's objections, but experience shows that we make most progress by multilateral negotiations.