Finance (Agreement With United Kingdom) Act, 1938

Modification of licensing provisions relating to customs duties.

15.—Wherever a statute or a statutory order (whether passed or made before or after the passing of this Act) contains a provision to the effect that, if the Minister for Finance, after consultation with another Minister, so thinks proper, the Revenue Commissioners may by licence authorise a person to import articles chargeable with the duty to which such provision relates without payment of such duty or on payment of such duty at less than the rate ordinarily chargeable, such provision shall, as respects licences issued thereunder on or after the appointed day have effect subject to the following modifications, that is to say:—

(a) the Minister for Finance, shall, in the exercise of the powers conferred on him by such provision, have regard to Article 7 of the Trade Agreement made on the 25th day of April, 1938, between the Government and the Government of the United Kingdom;

(b) in the exercise of the said powers the Minister for Finance may do either or both of the following things as he shall, after consultation with the other Minister mentioned in such provision, think proper for the purpose of complying with the said Article 7, that is to say:—

(i) restrict any licence issued under such provision and authorising importation without payment of the duty to which such provision relates to articles grown, produced, or manufactured in the United Kingdom or in the Dominion of Canada,

(ii) require that the duty to which such provision relates shall be charged, levied, and paid at a particular rate on articles grown, produced, or manufactured in a particular country (other than the United Kingdom and the Dominion of Canada) and imported under a licence issued under such provision.