Papuan Rubber Producers Could
p. 17 · Read in the full issue
Get Relief After September
T-v , • £ 1.1.1 , ine patience or Papuan rubber planters may be rewarded in September—which is the approximate time set by the Australian Tariff Board for a hearing of an application for pre ferential treatment of imports of Papuan rubber into Australia.
THE planters’ application has the blessing of the Department of Territories but is likely to be opposed by Australian manufactur ing interests who would like to see the duty removed from all imports of rubber, whatever its source.
The Papuan planters’ battle for tariff revision has been of several years duration; every red-tape obstacle has been placed in the way of anything practical being done.
At first it was refused on the grounds that it contravened the in ternational trade and tariff agree ment (GATT), but when GATT graciously gave its permission last year, it was then said that the matter would have to come before the Australian Tariff Board. Later, it was believed that this would not be necessary, and that legislation would be sufficient. More recently, this decision was reversed. The matter will now be considered, in a place yet to be set, probably about September.
The mere removal of the 2d per pound duty on rubber imported from Papua would not of itself do the Papuan planters much good other than, perhaps, give their rubber market preference in Australia. But when similar aid was sought and gained for the industry in the De oression, the duty was paid, as usual, by importers (4d per lb initially and later 2d), put in a special fund and refunded to the producers.
Something of the same sort is re quired now to put the Papuan rubber industry, which of all the P-NG primary industries is having the hardest battle, back on its feet.
Cost of production, on many estates, is more than the present world market price, and this is governed largely by the artificially low price at which the US keeps its
synthetic rubber.
The Australian Government has said ad nauseam that it wishes to encourage the production of rubber [n Papua—which at the moment is only one-tenth of Australia’s re quirements—but unless some scheme of financial aid is devised, it is unlikely that planters will be en couraged to plant up large new areas of rubber.
H Mr. Devenish, British Consul, has returned to his post in Papeete, Tahiti, after extended leave in Eng land.