ANALYSIS OF RESULTS OF ARTICLE XXVIII NEGOTIATIONS OF AUSTRALIA WITH THE UNITED STATES 1/ Based on an Australian Government examination of customs entries from July to November 1956, which showed imports of the item valued at $21,000 from all sources. 2/ Subsequently, this rate was unilaterally reduced to 7-1/2% without commitment on the part of the Australian Government. 3/ Converted from Australian pounds at rate of 1 L = 32.24 NEW ZEALAND RENEGOTIATIONS In negotiations held in 1956 under the provisions of the 1955 Declaration on the Continued Application of Schedules, New Zealand negotiated for the withdrawal from its schedule to the General Agreement or Tariffs and Trade of its concession on "leather, viz: goat skins and kid skins, however dressed; persians; reptile skins, dressed or undressed," and for the modification of its concession on "electric lamps n.e.i., not being peculiar to surgical use, other than table-lamps, readinglamps, bedside-lamps of stand or clamp type." Both of these concessions were initially negotiated with the United States. The leather item has been withdrawn from the New Zealand Schedule and several of the products included therein, e.g., certain rough-tanned and dressed leathers, were put into other tariff categories, with the rate of duty on the residual tariff item being increased. The electric lamp item was modified to remove certain products, i.e., discharge and fluorescent tubes and photographic flashbulbs, for classification in a new tariff category. The rate of duty on the residual tariff item was increased from the existing 25 percent to 40 percent and bound at that level. As compensation for these tariff actions, New Zealand agreed to eliminate the present 3 percent rate of duty and to bind free the rates on patent leather and on the leathers removed from the present tariff item and placed in other tariff categories. New Zealand agreed also to reduce from the present 25 percent to 15 percent the rate on the electric lamps placed in a new tariff category and to reduce from the present 50 percent to 45 percent the rate on field glasses, including binoculars. New Zealand has already published its tariff changes. An analysis of the results of the negotiations with New Zealand is contained in the following table. Converted from New Zealand pounds at rate of 1 b - $2.75. The preferential rate for Australia and Canada is 20 percent or 3d. per pound. Total trade in all items included in both revised 340(2) and 339(2). New Zealand has reduced back to the previous level (25% MFN and 10% Pref.) the tariff on electric lamps 6/ Breakdown, as estimated by New Zealand officials, of total trade in items dutiable under old item 340(2). 8/ This item includes dressed leather, belts and belting previously dutiable under ex 200(4)(b) and (5) and 9/ Discharge and fluorescent tubes and photographic flashbulbs. 10/ The preferential rate for Australia and Canada is 30 percent. |