Underdeveloped Territories

Australian Tariff Plan To Aid Underdeveloped Territories

By a Staff Writer

A new system of free or reduced Australian tariff concessions for less-developed countries came into effect in April, following approval by GATT.

PT*HE new concessions apply to a big range of countries, including many South Pacific territories, and allow Australian importers to apply for quotas of certain goods from the territories at free or cheap rates, as a means of giving economic aid.

The Pacific territories which come under the scheme are the British Solomons, the Cook Islands, Fiji, the Gilbert and Ellice Islands, the New Hebrides, Niue Island, Pitcairn,

Papua-New Guinea and Western Samoa.

Hand-made traditional cottage in dustry goods from the territories will be allowed into Australia duty-free and without quota limit. These goods comprise carved or inlaid hornware, ivoryware, shellware or stoneware, decorated leatherware or pottery, metalware, carved or inlaid wood work and some woven fabrics.

Reduced tariffs apply to such items as chairs and lounges of bamboo or cane, wooden chairs, cement, carpets and coir matting.

Most Pacific territories are at pre sent examining the concessions to see what benefits they may gain from them. Applications for import have to be made in Australia by individual importers.

A close examination has already been made by Fiji, which at Aus tralia’s suggestion has recently sub mitted a revised list of items which it feels should be added to the con cessions.

The revised list was prepared after consultation with Fiji business men.

Fiji’s imports from Australia were worth £F8,294,000 in 1965, com pared with £F2,051,000 in exports to Australia.

The Fiji Government representative m Australia, Mr. R. M. Major, told Australian Pressmen in Sydney in April that Fiji “very greatly appreci ated the Australian initiative in in stituting practical measures to help Fiji trade”.

It was aware that the present list of concessions was a start-some thing of an experiment to establish a principle, but very welcome.

The existing list did not assist Fiji a great amount.

He said the revised Fiji list now before the Australian Government for consideration included con cessions for men’s and boys’ shirts footwear, hats, ships and boats,’ passionfruit juice and pulp, tropical fruit salad, tomato and guava pulp, ginger, timber, pepper, peanuts, desiccated coconut and shell jewellery.

Sale of all these goods could help expand Fiji industry.