HC Deb 18 May 1960 vol 623 cc120-2W
Mr. Bellenger

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will publish in HANSARD or in some other appropriate publication a comparison between tariffs imposed by the Common Market countries and by Great Britain on the most important articles of trade between the United Kingdom and the other countries concerned.

Mr. J. Rodgers

In the most important sectors of trade with the Common Market countries, such as the trade in chemicals and in iron and steel goods, the tariff headings are so numerous and in general so different in the different countries, as to make it impracticable to comply in small compass with the right hon. Member's request; but the following are the main rates of duty for individual items for which the 1959 figures show that United Kingdom exports to the Common Market countries exceeded £2 million. Trade in these items

PRINCIPAL UNITED KINGDOM EXPORTS TO THE SIX AS SHOWN IN THE T. & N. ACCOUNTS FOR 1959
Item Current Rates of Import Duty
U.K. Benelux France Italy W. Germany
Vegetable oils 0–15 per cent. 0–12 per cent. 4–16.2 per cent. 0–25 per cent. 0–10 per cent.
Whisky £10 13s. 9d. per proof gal. 60.53 florins per hectolitre 30 per cent. 25 per cent.;60 per cent. DM 325 per 100kg
Cigarettes £3 10s. 0d.per lb. 45 per cent. 0; 70 NF per kg. 5,000 lire per kg. DM 7,500
Iron ore Free Free Free Free Free
Coal Free Free Free 0; 4 per cent. DM 20 per ton
Motor spirit 2s. 6d. per gallon Free 5.6 per cent. 16 per cent. DM 12.9 per 100 kg.
Fuel oil Free Free 1.75 per cent.; 2.8 per cent. 9 per cent.; 16 per cent. DM 12.9 per 100kg.
Tyres and Tubes (motor vehicles) 30 per cent. 21.6 per cent. 18 per cent.; 22 per cent. 22 per cent.; 22.5 per cent. 14 per cent.
Sheepskin Leather 10 per cent.; 15 per cent. 0; 6 per cent. 0—13.5 per cent. 10.8—15.3 per cent. 0; 6 per cent.
Raw Wool Free Free 0; 0.9 per cent. Free Free
Wool tops 10 per cent.✶ 2 per cent. 2 per cent. 0; 3.6 per cent.; 6.3 per cent. 1 per cent.
Wool yarns 7½per cent.† 4 per cent. 4 per cent.; 6 per cent. 9.9 per cent.; 11 per cent. 2—6 per cent.
Wool textiles 17½ per cent.✶ 18 per cent.; 24 per cent. 15 per cent. 16.2 per cent.; 18 per cent. 13 per cent.
Tinplate £7 5s. 0d. per ton or 10 per cent. 6 per cent. 7 per cent. 10 per cent. 6 per cent.
Unwrought copper Free Free 0; 18 per cent. Free Free
Unwrought tin Free Free Free Free Free
I.C. engines 17½ per cent.; 30 per cent. 6–24 per cent. 15–25 per cent. 13–27 per cent. 0–11 percent.
Pumps 15 per cent.; 17½ per cent.; 30 per cent. 6 per cent.; 15 per cent. 8–22.5 per cent. 8–25 per cent. 0–9 per cent.
Refrigerating equipment 15 percent.; 17½ per cent. 6 percent.; 12 per cent. 13.5 per cent.; 16.2 per cent. 14.4—18.9 per cent. 2 percent.; 4 per cent.
Metalworking Machine tools 10 per cent. 6 per cent; 7 per cent. 6–22 per cent. 7–25 per cent. 0; 4 per cent.
Radio communication and navigationaid equipment 17½ percent.; 20 per cent.; 30 per cent. 10 per cent. 18–22 per cent. 16.2—36 per cent. 9 per cent.
Cars 30 per cent. 24 per cent. 29 per cent. 25—40.5 per cent. 13 per cent.; 16 per cent.
Tractors 15 per cent.; 20 per cent.; 30 per cent. 6 per cent.; 24 per cent. 15—27 percent. 12—32.4 per cent. 0—11 percent.
Aircraft 17½ per cent. 0; 10 per cent. 18 per cent. 13—22 per cent. Free
* Not containing man-made fibres.
† Not containing man-made fibres or horse hair.

accounted for about one quarter of our total exports to those countries in 1959. A booklet containing a detailed study, entitled "Tariffs and Trade in Western Europe", was published on this subject by Political and Economic Planning at the beginning of this year.