asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce the details of the special tariff concessions that have recently been agreed between this country and Britain under the terms of the Anglo-Irish Free Trade Area Agreement; and what sector these concessions have been designed to favour.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Tariff Concessions.
86.
As the statement giving details of the special tariff arrangements recently agreed with the British under the terms of the Anglo-Irish free Trade Area Agreement is rather lengthy, I propose, with your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, to have it circulated with the Official Report.
The products affected are iron and steel, aluminium hollow-ware, agricultural machinery, domestic electrical appliances, furniture, wollen blankets, ropes, cordage and twine, saws and files, mobile homes, brushes and brooms, joinery and footwear.
The discussions also dealt with difficulties threatened in the case of certain textile products, namely, bed linen and candlewick bedspreads. The Government have concluded that the difficulties in these cases cannot be dealt with by agreed action, and have decided to exclude these products from the application of Article I, Article IV or Article VI of the AIFTA. Following these exclusions, it has been decided that the duties on these products imported from the United Kingdom will not be reduced on 1st July, 1972. Certain outwear has already been similarly excluded from the application of the relevant articles of the agreement, and the duties on outerwear will likewise remain unchanged on 1st July, 1972.
Following is the statement:
Statement
|
Product |
Agreed Tariff Regime on United Kingdom goods |
|
Iron and Steel |
|
|
Iron and steel bars, rods, etc. |
The present duty of 10% will be retained up to the end of 1973. It will be reduced to 8% on 1/1/74, to 4% on 1/1/75 and nil on 1/1/76. |
|
Fabrications |
The present duties, varying from 8% to 20%, will be retained up to the end of 1973. They will be cut by one-fifth on 1/1/74 and the balance eliminated in two equal cuts on 1/1/75 and 1/1/76. |
|
Foundry products |
The present duties, varying from 12.8% to 16% will be retained up to 31st March, 1973. They will be removed in 5 equal cuts, on 1/4/73, 1/1/74, 1/1/75, 1/1/76 and 1/7/77. |
|
Aluminium hollow-ware |
The present duty of 20% will be reduced to 18% on 1/7/72, to 16% on 1/4/73 and the balance of the duty eliminated in 4 equal cuts, on 1/1/74, 1/1/75, 1/1/76 and 1/7/77. |
|
Agricultural Machinery: |
|
|
Ploughs and parts |
The present duty of 10% will be retained up to 31/3/73. It wil. be reduced to 8% on 1/4/73, to 6% on 1/1/74, to 3% on 1/1/75 and to nil on 1/1/76. |
|
Hay mowers, buckrakes, etc. |
|
|
Domestic electric appliances: |
|
|
Refrigerators and water heaters |
The present duty of 20% will be reduced to 18% on 1/7/72, to 16% on 1/4/73, to 11% on 1/1/74, to 6% on 1/1/75 and to nil on 1/1/76. |
|
Washing machines, fires, irons, etc. |
The present duty of 16% will be reduced to 14% on 1/7/72, to 12% on 1/4/73, to 8% on 1/1/74, to 4% on 1/1/75 and to nil on 1/1/76. |
|
Cookers |
The present duty of 10% will be retained up to 31/3/73. It will be reduced to 9% on 1/4/73, to 8% on 1/1/74, to 4% on 1/1/75 and to nil on 1/1/76. |
|
Furniture |
The present protective duties will be reduced in six stages, on 1st July each year, reaching zero on 1st July, 1977. |
|
Woollen blankets |
The present duty of 10% will be retained up to 31/3/73. It will be reduced to 8% on 1/4/73, to 6% on 1/1/74, to 4% on 1/1/75 and to nil on 1/1/76. |
|
Ropes, cordage, twine |
The present duty of 12.5% will be reduced to 11.5% on 1/7/72, to 10% on 1/7/73, to 7.5% on 1/7/74, to 5% on 1/7/75, to 2.5% on 1/7/76 amd to nil on 1/7/77. |
|
Saws |
The present duty of 16% will be reduced to 15% on 1/7/72, to 14% on 1/4/73, to 12% on 1/1/74, to 6% on 1/1/75 and to nil on 1/1/76. |
|
Files of iron or steel |
The present duty of 16% will be reduced to 12% on 1/7/72, to 11% on 1/4/73, to 9% on 1/1/74, to 5% on 1/1/75 and to nil on 1/1/76. |
|
Mobile homes |
The present duty of 13.3% will be reduced to 12% on 1/7/72, to 11% on 1/7/73, to 7% on 1/7/71 and to nil on 1/7/75. |
|
Brushes and brooms |
The present duty of 22% will be reduced to 18% on 1/7/72, to 14% on 1/7/73, to 10% on 1/7/74, to 6% on 1/7/75, to 2% on 1/7/76 and to nil on 1/7/77. |
|
Joinery |
The present duty of 13.3% will be reduced to 12% on 1/7/72, to 9.6% on 1/7/73, to 7.2% on 1/7/74, to 4.8% on 1/7/75, to 2.4% on 1/7/76 and to nil on 1/7/77. |
|
Footwear: Plastic |
The present duty of 18% will be retained up to 30th June, 1973. It will be reduced to 15% on 1/7/73, to 10% on 1/7/74, to 5% on 1/7/75 and to nil on 1/7/76. |
|
Footwear: Leather, |
The present duty of 22.5% will be reduced to 20% on 1/7/72, to 15% on 1/7/73, to 10% on 1/7/74, to 5% on 1/7/75 and to nil on 1/7/76. |
Question No. 87 postponed.