§ Mr. Worsleyasked the President of the Board of Trade, if he will list the principal changes in tariff made by Commonwealth Governments on United Kingdom goods since the Ottawa Agreement.
§ Mr. ErrollThe British Government made Trade Agreements after the
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Canada 1932 1962 Wool fabrics 27½ per cent + 17 cts per lb. (but not to exceed 65 cts. per lb. 20 per cent + 20 cts. (but not to exceed 60 cts.per lb.) Hollow forgings of iron and steel not less than 12 inches in diameter. Free 5 per cent Steel wire for mattress springs Free 5 per cent Power lawnmowers 10 per cent 15 per cent Automatic record changers Free (in 1940) 7½ per cent Australia 1933 1938 1962 Certain man-made fibre piecegoods 20 per cent l½d. sq. yard 2/6 sq. yd. + 25 percent Woollen piecegoods (light weight) 35 per cent 35 per cent 6d. per sq. yd. + 17½ per cent Cotton furnishings tapestry 5 per cent 5 per cent 37½ per cent Linen duck 5 per cent 5 per cent 5 per cent-7½ per cent + 2s. per lb. Metal working milling machines Free Free 27½ per cent Certain metal working lathes Free Free 20 per cent Static transformers with high K.V.A. ratings. Free Free 25 per cent Certain switch units and circuit breakers Free Free 35 per cent Certain automatic voltage regulators Free Free 27½ per cent Vacuum cleaners with self-contained power. Free Free 20 per cent New Zealand 1932 1938 1962 Machinery—metal working Free Free Free or 25 per cent Electrical power machinery Free Free Free to 25 per cent Motor vehicles (built up) 10 per cent (plus 11½ per cent body duty on passenger vehicles) 15 percent 20 per cent Woven piecegoods containing certain man-made fibres. Free Free 32½ per cent Gramophones 20 per cent 10 per cent 32½ per cent Radio and television sets Free Free 32½ per cent Electric heating apparatus 20 per cent 20 per cent 32½ per cent Refrigerators 20 per cent 20 per cent 32½ per cent Sanitaryware 20 per cent 20 per cent 32½ per cent Paints 20 per cent 15 per cent 27½ per cent Whisky 40s. per proof gal. 40s. per proof gal. 120s. per proof gal. Toys 25 per cent 20 per cent 32½ per cent Imperial Economic Conference at Ottawa in 1932 with Canada, Australia, New Zealand, India and Southern Rhodesia. Since then these countries have increased some duties on imports from the United Kingdom, reduced others and left many unchanged. There have been more increases than reductions. It is not possible within the compass of an Answer to a Parliamentary Question to give even a full summary of these changes, but by way of illustration the table below contains some examples of the present rates of duty on United Kingdom goods compared with those charged in 1932. There were, of course, other changes in the years between and some of these are also shown in the table.
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India and Pakistan India before partition (1932) India 1962 Pakistan 1962 Mining machinery 25 per cent 10 per cent 12½ per cent Textile machinery 10 per cent 15 per cent 12½ per cent Motorcars including taxicabs 37½ per cent 150 per cent plus excise duty 50–250 per cent Motor omnibuses 37½ per cent 25 per cent 27½ per cent Brandy, gin, whisky and other spirits not elsewhere specified. Rs. 37.8 per proof gal. Rs. 44 per proof litre or 170 per cent w.i.g. Rs. 150 per proof gal. Sulphur Free 10 per cent 5 per cent Chemicals 25 per cent 30 per cent 30 per cent China and porcelain for domestic or toilet use. 25 per cent 75 per cent plus excise duty. 100 per cent Southern Rhodesian Tariff' (applying, after 1955, to the Federation 1933 1938 1962 Most electrical machinery Free Free Free–15 per cent Motorcars 10 per cent 5 per cent 7½–25 per cent Motor lorries and vans Free Free 5 per cent Woollen piccegoods 10 per cent 5 per cent 5 per cent or l½d.per sq. yd.w.i.g. Cotton piecegoods 10 per cent 5 per cent 5 per cent–7½ per cent or l½d.–5d. per sq. yd. w.i.g. Rayon piecegoods 12 per cent 5 per cent 5 per cent or l½d. per sq. yd. w.i.g. DyestufFs Free–10 per cent Free–10 per cent Free Drugs 10 per cent Free Free Pottery 10 per cent 5 per cent(w.i.g.—whichever is the greater) 10 per cent