- Target:
- Federal Government
- Region:
- Australia
In 1987 the Australian Government introduced a import quota of 11500 tonnes on certain cheese and curd products. This means that certain companies can import cheese at a discount duty ($0.096/kg) up to the level of their quota.
All other importers have to pay a duty of $1.22/kg. This produces an unfair price advantage and lessens competition.
We, the undersigned, call on the Australian Government to abolish the Cheese and Curd Quota Scheme introduced in 1987.
The Quota system as it stands is unfair and biased against smaller and new importers as it gives an unfair price advantage to a select group.
The theory behind the system is that new or small importers can purchase allocation points from existing importers but it has been impossible to buy any for many years. Recently some quota has become available through a Broker due to the down turn in the economy but at an unrealistic premium of $7.30 per kilogram. At this rate it will take over 6 years to receive any benefit from the purchase.
This Quota System is entirely against the Trade Practices Act 1974 as it lessens competition by giving an exclusive group of 14 importers an unfair price advantage of $1.124 per kilo. It is also the only quota system still in existence for importing into Australia.
We, the undersigned, therefore request that the Cheese and Curd Quota System be abolished and replaced with a reasonable duty that is equal for everybody and gives all cheese importers a level playing field to begin with.
This is an urgent consideration as the Government is due to examine the re-distribution of the quota in May and, unlike previous years, we need things to change.
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The Abolish Cheese and Curd Quota Scheme petition to Federal Government was written by Linda Lewis and is in the category Government at GoPetition.