Tahiti Will Buy

From Australia

New Trade Grows Out of War Conditions

ON the outbreak of war, in September last, both the British and French Governments took steps to pre serve their dollar exchange in the United States. The effect of this was quickly felt in Tahiti, where American made goods represented about half of the French Colony’s imports.

The position in the Colony to-day was outlined to the “P.1.M.” early in June, by Mr. Sin Kung Po, prominent Papeete merchant, who arrived in Sydney re cently to “build up relations between Australian manufacturers and Tahiti merchants”.

“Since the war began,” Mr. Po stated, “we have not been able to obtain the dollar exchange to buy American goods and, therefore, we have had to find a new source of supply. Practically the whole of the goods imported into French Oceania prior to the war came from America, Europe and the East. Since then very few goods have been imported from the Orient, and imports from Europe and America have practically ceased, “Tahiti merchants are all in the same position, and will have to buy from Australia now, as European countries cannot get regular supplies of raw materials, and communications between the Colony and Europe are also very irregular.

“We are after general merchandise— tinned meats and milk, hardware, glass ware, cotton goods, etc. —and we are anxious to obtain these goods from Aus tralia. Tahiti now is giving preference to sterling countries when purchasing goods.

“Australian manufacturers have met me in every possible way. They have had difficulty in obtaining raw materials for goods usually exported, but they expect that this problem will be soon eliminated, paving the way for increased export business.

“The shipping facilities between Aus tralia and Tahiti are quite satisfactory, from our point of view; and, since my arrival here, I have arranged for the export of considerable quantities of Aus tralian manufactures to Tahiti, as well as numerous samples. This will be maintained. I have met with no diffi culties in arranging shipping space for my goods.

“No doubt it will take time before the people over there get used to the new type of manufactures: these are a little higher in price, but the quality is first class and I think the people will turn favourably towards them.

“At present, there is not much recip rocal trade between the two countries, but I hope that under these new arrangements a barter system, whereby Tahitian vanilla beans will be exchanged for Australian manufactures, will be established, and grow into considerable dimensions.”

Mr. Po said his business specialised in vanilla beans, and was one of the big gest exporters of this product in the Society Islands.

“Business conditions in Tahiti are quite normal,” he continued. “We have been very fortunate in having the usual

prices for our copra and vanilla main tained. The Colony produces between 180 and 200 tons of beans per annum, and it is a very valuable industry.”

Prior to the war, beans were exported principally to America and Europe, added Mr. Po, who expressed a desire to see Australia increase her present very small imports of this product.

“I would like to see the business in vanilla beans develop on a bigger scale,” he continued. “Since I have been here I found that importers of vanilla beans are somewhat handicapped by a quota system, and people who want to buy Tahiti beans cannot get them, sim ply because of this. I think that now. as Britain and France are fighting side by side, there is no reason why either Government should impose such restric tions. It has been difficult to buy Aus tralian goods in the past, but these dif ficulties are rapidly being overcome,” he concluded.

Mr. Po, who is also well known in the Society Group as Ah You, arrived in Tahiti some 27 years ago; and, three years later, he founded the now flour ishing merchant business of Sin Tung Hing Co., which has branches in vari ous parts of French Oceania. He will leave Australia this month on his return to Tahiti.