§ 71. Dr. Strossasked the Minister of Food whether he has any announcement to make regarding the restoration of facilities for the United Kingdom merchants, to conduct an entrepôt trade in coffee.
Sir B. Smith: Yes, Sir. Provisional arrangements have been made in agreement with the Coffee Trade Federation, the Coffee Importers and Exporters Association, and the Coffee Brokers 93W Association, for merchants to resume their international business in coffee. Under these arrangements recognised merchants who take part in the scheme will be permitted to import coffee from any country for resale for resale for sterling, and I hope that this business will ultimately make a substantial contribution to our overseas income, and that it may be possible eventually to re-establish in London the international coffee market which was active here before the 1914–1918 war.