World Duty Free

World Duty Free (WDF) is the UK s biggest airport duty free goods retailer, accounting for 90 per cent of all UK airport duty free sales. WDF is wholly owned by the Italian group Autogrill in which Benetton have a 40 per cent stake. 

It is basically a schedule of duties or cost rates imposed by a government on imported or in some countries exported goods. In certain areas of the world to offset tariff duties, worldwide free-trade agreements exist. 

In the late 1960s the biggest incentives were available in Puerto Rico. As a result, petrochemical investments in Puerto Rico may exceed 1,500,000,000 by 1975. The major baits were tax exemptions and free ports. Companies making products not produced in Puerto Rico previous to 1947 (true for nearly any chemical) could be granted 100% income tax exemptions for up to 17 years. They were also allowed to avoid the import duties on certain raw materials. For instance, in 1970 (naphtha), an important feedstock for producing petrochemicals, could be obtained on the world market at half its selling price in the United States.3,14... 

Kekule told Williamson of his idea—it must have been soon after his arrival, in January or February 1854—and Williamson was enthusiastic. But Kekule had little free time and no laboratory in which to do the work, and so he stalled. Finally Williamson declared, "This must be tried. If you don t do it, 1 will." So, without Stenhouse s permission, Kekule used his boss s lab in the hours before his official duties began at 9 a.m. There was, of course, no way to hide the powerful aromas of sulfur compounds, but Stenhouse let the work continue. Kekule s lab-mate Edward Divers commented, "Stenhouse murmured sometimes at Kekule s giving too much time to it, that was all." On 3 March Kekule reported to Planta that fortunately Stenhouse was currently indisposed, which gave Kekule free rein in the lab. Kekule must have worked efficiently in March, for Kekule s finished paper, "On a New Series of Sulphuretted Acids," was formally presented in the 6 April 1854 meeting of the Royal Society of London. The paper was also published in Liebig s Annalen, and excited interest in the chemical world, as we shall shortly see. 

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