HL Deb 19 June 1956 vol 197 cc1113-4WA
LORD BARNBY

asked Her Majesty's Government whether they will indicate the number of items of import from Canada which, in addition to tariff, are currently subject also to restriction by quota; also if any categories of export front the United Kingdom to Canada remain subject to quota.

LORD MANCROFT

Most Canadian goods enter the Ur Med Kingdom duty free, but the following are chargeable with Customs duty. (The definitions do not in all cases correspond to Tariff headings.) Most of these goods are subject to restriction by quota or other form of licensing control when imported from the dollar area. In a few cases, however (as indicated below), goods included in the list may be imported under the Open General Licence, free of all detailed licensing restriction.

Canadian goods chargeable with Customs Duty

Beer, wines and spirits.

Clocks and watches.

Cocoa, coffee and chicory.

Cinematograph films.

(News films are on World Open General Licence.)

Hops, hop oil and extracts.

Hydrocarbon oils.

(Certain products which may be liable to hydrocarbon oil duly are on World Open General Licence, e.g. certain petroleum sulphonates, pinene, dipentene, turpentine, naphthenic acid.)

Matches and mechanical lighters.

Motor vehicles.

Musical instruments.

Playing cards.

Goods containing silk and artificial silk. (Raw silk, silk waste and noils and untrimmed silkwork gat are on World Open General Licence.)

Certain spirit derivatives.

Sugar, molasses, glucose and saccharin. (Molasses containing not more than 60 per cent. of sweetening matter is on World Open General Licence.)

Tobacco.

Of all our imports from Canada, non-dutiable as well as dutiable, approximately one-quarter are still subject to quantitative import restrictions.

There are no import restrictions in Canada on goods normally exported by the United Kingdom. The principal goods under United Kingdom export licensing control to Canada are a few agricultural products, some essential raw materials, arms and munitions, and a few items of high value, including works of art and antiques. Only steel sheet and plating are subject to quotas which are global, i.e. not allocated to individual countries.

House adjourned at twenty-four minutes before seven o'clock.