§ Mr. Hamilton Kerrasked the President of the Board of Trade which countries at the present time importing British textiles have adopted the spun, woven, and finished criterion of origin for tariff purposes; and what steps are being taken to make the acceptance of this criterion more general?
§ Mr. StanleyNo country has introduced such a regulation for tariff purposes. In Empire countries there are, however, regulations laying down the amount of Empire labour and materials required before goods can secure admission at the preferential rates of duty accorded to British goods.
For the purpose of the quotas which are in operation in certain Colonies, cotton and rayon piece-goods exported from the United Kingdom must have been spun, woven and finished in the British Empire, in order to secure recognition as British for quota purposes.
As regards foreign countries, His Majesty's Government endeavour to secure, in those cases where a reserved share of the market is in some way guaranteed to United Kingdom goods, that the benefit shall accrue only to such textiles as are spun, woven and finished in the United Kingdom. Such requirements are in operation in connection with exports to Denmark, Latvia, Lithuania and Uruguay; the possibility of securing the adoption of a simliar requirement for Argentina is under discussion with the Argentine Government at present.