§ Sir R. Russellasked the President of the Board of Trade which industrial goods traded between European Free Trade Association countries will not enter free after 31st December; what is the timetable for the reduction of tariffs on imports into Portugal; and what level of duties will be applied by Finland during 1967.
§ Mr. JayCertain textile products, shoes and domestic electrical goods entering Norway, and a few manufactured foodstuffs entering Austria and Switzerland, will continue to be subject to some protective duty. In the case of Norway these remaining protective duties will be eliminated by 31st December 1969; in the case of Austria and Switzerland the arrangements which are to operate from 31st December, 1967, are yet to be agreed.
Portugal will eliminate protective duties on some goods from 31st December, 1966. On other industrial goods, she will reduce duties on that date to 60 per cent. of the basic rates; she will make a further reduction of 10 per cent. from 1st January, 1970, and under a timetable to be agreed will eliminate the remaining duties by 1st January, 1980. From 31st December, 1966, Finland will reduce her protective duties on most goods to 10 per cent. of the basic rates, and eliminate them from 31st December, 1967. For other goods listed in Annex 1 of the Agreement of Association (Cmnd. 1547 as amended) the rates of duty during 1967 will be 30 per cent. of the basic rates.