CUSTOMS TARIFF (PAPUA AND NEW GUINEA PREFERENCE).
No. 64 of 1957.
An Act to amend the Customs Tariff (Papua and New Guinea Preference) 1936–1956.
[Assented to 25th November, 1957.]
BE it enacted by the Queen’s Most Excellent Majesty, the Senate, and the House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Australia, as follows:—
Short title and citation.
1. (1.) This Act may be cited as the Customs Tariff (Papua and New Guinea Preference) 1957.
(2.) The Customs Tariff (Papua and New Guinea Preference) 1936–1956, as amended by this Act, may be cited as the Customs Tariff (Papua and New Guinea Preference) 1936–1957.
Amendment of Tariff.
2. The Schedule to the Customs Tariff (Papua and New Guinea Preference) 1936–1956 is amended as set out in the Schedule to this Act and duties of Customs are imposed in accordance with the first-mentioned Schedule as amended by the last-mentioned Schedule.
Time of imposition of duties.
3. The time of the imposition of the duties of Customs imposed by this Act is the eighteenth day of October, One thousand nine hundred and fifty-seven, at nine o’clock in the
forenoon, reckoned according to standard time in the Australian Capital Territory, and this Act shall be deemed to have come into operation at that time.
THE SCHEDULE. Section 2.
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Amendments of the Schedule to the Customs Tariff (Papua and New Guinea Preference) 1936–1956.
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IMPORT DUTIES.
Item No | Item No. of Customs Tariff 1933–1957 | Item. | Rate of Duty. |
By adding a new Item No. 23 as follows:— | |
“23 | 331(a) | Crude rubber; rubber waste; masticated rubber; powdered rubber: reclaimed rubber per lb. | 2d.” |
By adding a new Item No. 24 as follows:— | |
“24 | 331(d) | Rubber latex— | |
on the rubber content---------------------per lb. | 2d.” |
Overview
The Customs Tariff (Papua and New Guinea Preference) 1957 was enacted by the Queen’s Most Excellent Majesty, the Senate, and the House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Australia, and assented to on 25th November 1957. This Act amended the Customs Tariff (Papua and New Guinea Preference) 1936–1956 to update and refine the tariff schedule for goods imported from Papua and New Guinea. The objective of the Act was to impose customs duties in accordance with the updated tariff schedule, addressing the need to regulate and adjust the rates on certain goods as per the economic and trade relations between Australia and Papua and New Guinea at the time. This legislative amendment aimed to reflect the changing nature of trade and to provide a structured approach to the application of tariffs on specific items such as crude rubber, rubber waste, masticated rubber, powdered rubber, reclaimed rubber, and rubber latex.
Scope and Application
The Customs Tariff (Papua and New Guinea Preference) 1957 amends the existing Customs Tariff (Papua and New Guinea Preference) 1936–1956 by imposing new duties on specific items of import. The Act applies to goods imported into Australia from Papua New Guinea, providing preferential tariff rates for these goods as outlined in the amended Schedule. The amendment is designed to facilitate trade between Australia and Papua New Guinea by reducing the tariff rates on certain commodities, thereby encouraging economic relations between the two territories. This Act applies nationally within Australia, affecting importers and entities involved in the importation of specified goods from Papua New Guinea. The imposition of duties as per this Act is effective from the specified date and time detailed within the legislation. The amendments made by this Act are limited to the changes set out in the Schedule, which introduces new item numbers with corresponding duty rates for crude rubber, rubber waste, masticated rubber, powdered rubber, reclaimed rubber, and rubber latex. The application of this Act does not extend to other territories or goods not specified in the amendments, maintaining the original tariff rates for all other imported goods.
Key Provisions
The Customs Tariff (Papua and New Guinea Preference) 1957 (C1957A00064) amends the Customs Tariff (Papua and New Guinea Preference) 1936–1956, introducing new tariffs on certain items. Specifically, section 2 of the Act amends the Schedule of the 1936–1956 Tariff to include new item numbers and associated duties. For instance, it introduces a new duty on crude rubber, rubber waste, masticated rubber, powdered rubber, and reclaimed rubber, set at two pence per pound (section 2, Schedule, item 23). Similarly, it introduces a new duty on rubber latex, also set at two pence per pound based on the rubber content (section 2, Schedule, item 24). The time of imposition of these new duties is explicitly stated as 9:00 AM on 18 October 1957, Australian Capital Territory time (section 3).
The obligations imposed by the Customs Tariff (Papua and New Guinea Preference) 1957 primarily concern the payment of duties on the specified items. Importers and exporters must ensure compliance with the new tariff rates as outlined in the amended Schedule. This includes accurately calculating the duty based on the new rates when dealing with crude rubber, rubber waste, masticated rubber, powdered rubber, reclaimed rubber, and rubber latex. The duty must be paid upon the importation of these items into Australia, in accordance with the specified rates.
Breach of the duties imposed by this Act may lead to various civil and criminal consequences. While the specific penalties are not detailed in the provided text, it is common for breaches of customs duty regulations to attract penalties under broader customs and excise legislation. Typically, penalties can include fines, confiscation of goods, and in severe cases, criminal charges. The exact penalties would depend on the specific breach and applicable laws in place at the time of the offence.