Fiji-Austrauan Trade
p. 16 · Read in the full issue
Out of Balance by £2,000,000
OF all the anomalies in Pacific Islandsi trade, none is more noticeable than, the relationship between Fiji andl Australia. Look at these figures, taken, from the excellent quarterly publication of the Fiji Public Relations Office: —
Australia buys very little from Fiji, but sells the Colony goods worth £2,000,000 p.a. New Zealand buys from II to 2 mil lion pounds’ worth of Fiji produce each year, but sells Fiji less than half a mil lion pounds’ worth.
The United Kingdom consistently buys £2,000,000 worth of Fiji products p.a., and sells Fiji goods to the same amount, United States sells Fiji a million pounds worth of goods annually, and buys about half a million pounds worth of Fiji’s pro ducts.
For 20 years, Fiji has been threatening that, if Australia will not buy more Fij produce, Fiji will put a special import tas on certain of Australia’s main exports tc the Colony, such as flour. But nothing has hapoened.
The trade dis-equilibrium is taken can of by the fact that the three big trading firms as well as the two banks whict handle most of Fiji’s trade have branches in Australia, New Zealand and Uniteo States, and can set the debit balance ii one place against the credits in another
Caronia at Suva Wharf. Suva’s new bus terminal centro Photo by Stinson’s.
1947 1948 1949 £ £ £ Exports from Fiji to Australia 98,832 109,388 111,6811 Imports into Fiji from Australia 1,914,218 1,855,254 2,135,702 Exports from Fiji to N. Zealand . . 1.769,368 2,042,968 1,469,14S Imports into Fiji from N. Zealand 391,698 436,728 497,292