Samoa Abandons

British

Preference Tariff

Representatives of British textile firms doing business with West Samoa, and firms ex porting primary produce to that Trust Territory, are perturbed at the recent abandonment by West Samoa of Empire Preference tariffs.

It is known that business interests in Apia have for some time been dissatisfied with shipping connec tions between the United Kingdom and Samoa and especially with transhipment delays in Suva. The Apia Chamber of Commerce has been negotiating with various ship ping lines, seeking a more direct service. The abandonment of the Preferential Tariff therefore is likely to increase interest on the part of non-British exporters, and Improve shipping prospects.

British textile exporters now fear that the Japanese will immediately make an all-out drive to capture the not inconsiderable Samoan textile trade. Japanese vessels run ning phosphate from Makatea Island and coming south in ballast are said to be available for a direct service from Japan.

New Zealand primary produce ex porters on the other hand suggest that America might show an interest in dumping surplus goods on the Samoan market. Two American

shipping lines are available to pro vide direct service.

Textile representatives have em phasised the “Unfair to Britain” angle in referring to the danger of keen competition from Japan; but a recent article in the New Zealand Chamber of Commerce journal, dis cussing such “unfair Japanese com petition” noted that Japanese com

petition is not necessarily unfair.

The disparity between wages in America and England is consider ably greater, the article points out, than the disparity between wages in England and Japan. Japan probably would be just as willing; to import Samoan copra, say, at thei same price and in the same quant ities as Britain is now doing.