HC Deb 02 December 1909 vol 13 cc593-6W
Mr. DUNDAS WHITE

asked the President of the Board of Trade what are the present import duties in France on steel ingots, steel blooms or billets, steel bars, and steel plates; and what is the amount of the bounty per ton on ships built in France, distinguishing the various classes of ships in so far as they are distinguished by gradations in the bounty?

Mr. CHURCHILL

The following statement shows the rates of import duty levi- able on steel ingots, steel blooms, or billets, steel bars, and steel plates on importation into France, together with the English equivalents of those duties:—

Tariff Classification. Rates of Duty under the "Minimum" Tariff. English Equivalents
100Kgs. Ton
Steel— Francs. £ s. d.
In ingots 5.00 2 0 8
In blooms or billets 6.00 2 8 9½
In bars, other, of all kinds 6.00 2 8 9½
In sheets or bands:
Brown, hot rolled, having a thickness of more than 1 millimetre:
Not cut. 7.00 2 16 11
Cut to any shape 9.00 3 13 2
Brown, hot rolled, of a thickness of more than 6.10ths and up to 1 millimetre:
Not cut 7.50 3 0 11½
Cut to any shape 9.50 3 17 3
Brown, hot rolled, of a thickness of 6.10ths of a millimetre or less:
Not cut 10.00 4 1 3½
Cut to any shape 11.00 4 9 5
White, cold rolled, of any thickness:
Not cut 15.00 6 1 11
Cut to any shape 16.50 6 14 2
NOTE.—The above duties are applicable only to steel fit for tempering; other steel (whatever be the quantity of scoriæ which it contains) is subject to the same: duties as iron, as follows—
Crude iron in blooms, prisms, or bars:
Containing 4 per cent, or more of scoriæ 4.50 1 16 7
Other 5.00 2 0 8
Iron drawn in bars 5.00 2 0 8
Sheet or plate iron, flat, hammered or rolled:
Of a thickness of more than 1 millimetre:
Not cut 7.00 2 16 11
Cut to any shape 7.50 3 0 11½
Thin sheet iron and iron black plate having a thickness of—
More than 6–10ths of a millimetre:
Not cut 9.00 3 13 2
Cut to any shape 10.00 4 1 3½
6–10ths of a millimetre or less:
Not cut 10.00 4 1 3½
Cut to any shape 11.00 4 9 5

As regards bounties on ships built in France, the law of 19th April, 1906, under which these are now being paid, provided for a bounty on the hull at the following rates:—

Per gross ton Francs.
For iron or steel steam ships 145
For iron or steel sailing ships 95
For wooden ships of 150 tons and over 40
For wooden ships of under 150tons 30

The law further provided that during the first ten years of its operation the bounties on iron or steel steam ships and sailing ships were to be reduced annually by 4 francs 50 centimes and 3 francs, respectively. The bounties payable for the year 1 1909–10 on iron or steel vessels are therefore 131 francs 50 centimes and 86 francs per gross ton on steamers and sailing ships, respectively.

Further bounties are payable under the I same law in respect of the machinery installed in new ships at the rate of 27 francs 50 centimes per 100 kilogrammes, reduced annually during the first 10 years 1 by 75 centimes (the bounty thus amounting to 24 francs 50 centimes in the year 1909–10) and in respect of repairs and replacements of machinery at the rate of 20 francs per 100 kilogrammes.