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Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 2 Nov 1938

Vol. 73 No. 2

Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Customs Clearance Charges.

asked the Minister for Agriculture if he is aware that, arising out of the British penal duties on agricultural produce from this country, the Irish Railway Clearing House published in February, 1938, a scale of customs clearance charges dealing with dutiable and non-dutiable goods; and if, in view of the alteration in the tariffs since the settlement of the economic war, and the detrimental effect that these charges are having, particularly on the poultry industry, he will direct the attention of the Irish Railway Clearing House to the desirability of reviewing the customs clearance charges.

The scale of customs clearance charges published in February, 1938, varied only in minor respects from that previously in operation. Since the coming into operation of the recent Trade Agreement with the Government of the United Kingdom, the carrying companies have applied the scale of clearance charges for non-dutiable commodities to those exported from this country which for the purposes of free entry into the United Kingdom do not require to be accompanied by a certificate of origin. In the case of poultry and other commodities requiring the certificate of origin to secure free entry into the United Kingdom, the carrying companies maintain that the work of clearance involved has not materially diminished, and have continued to charge for customs clearance at the rate applicable to dutiable commodities. My Department has been investigating the possibilities of securing a modification of these charges, and would be assisted towards that end if exporters would carefully follow the advice given in the recent Departmental circulars as to the need for exercising greater care in the preparation of certificates of origin so as to ensure that all necessary information is correctly given therein in the first instance.

Is the Minister aware that those customs clearance charges had a disastrous effect on a certain type of poultry trade which existed before the penal tariffs came into operation? The type of trade to which I refer is the small weekly order from retail traders on the other side, which was a much stronger business in the poultry trade than we have to-day. The trade we have to-day is practically 100 per cent. with big wholesalers on the other side. The Minister must realise that the regular weekly order from the retailer on the other side was more valuable altogether. That has gone as a result of those customs clearance charges.

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