§ 33. Mr. John H. Osbornasked the Minister for Trade if he will compare levels of tariffs on engineers' tools, 177W including taps and dies, imported into the United Kingdom and those on United Kingdom products exported to a number of third countries.
§ Mr. Peter ReesThe following table compares the position for imports of engineers' tools into the European Community, Brazil, India, Australia, Spain and South Africa.
Whilst on some products a number of countries have tariffs higher than the European Community's common customs tariff against British exports, the CCT is higher in some sectors than other countries' tariffs. These disparities reflect the various countries' industrial structure, their tariffs when the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade was established, and the extent to which it has been possible to reduce tariffs by negotiation. Such negotiations cannot produce uniform tariffs in narrow sectors, but overall tariff reductions were agreed in the Tokyo Round of multilateral trade negotiations in 1979 and will help to reduce many disparities. These tariff cuts are taking place on a phased basis and will not be completed until 1987.
Tariff levels on interchangeable tools for hand tools, for machine or power-operated hand tools, including dies for wire drawing and rock drilling bits. (CCCN No. 82.05) percentage United Kingdom (CCT) 5.8* Brazil 20–55† India 40–60‡ Australia 20 Spain 19 ║ South Africa 3–23¶ Notes
* Imports from certain sources enter duty-free under GSP.
† Brazil imposes an additional 8 per cent. manufactured goods tax.
‡ India has 15 per cent. to 25 per cent. auxiliary tax depending on the imported product.
║ Imports into Spain under 82.05 pay a 12 per cent. compensation tax, although United Kingdom made products are given 12.4 per cent. tariff rate.
¶ South Africa has recently imposed a 10 per cent. surcharge on certain imported items including some under 82.05.