Pacific Trade

[?]ovt. Leads [?]he Way

Nz Goes After

|N a trade drive calculated to I show that Australia’s favour able exchange rate is not what t seems, the New Zealanders are out after business in the Eas tern Pacific.

I Spearheading the attack is the few Zealand Government, through ts Department of Industries and ijommerce. [The Department announced in mid-November that Mr. K. W.

')avies, head of the Auckland branch, has been appointed to the lew post of Trade Commissioner or the Pacific.

I His headquarters will be at Auck land and he will make Island sorties tom there. Several months ago Mr.

Davies made a very close survey of ifew Zealand trade possibilities in ? iji- He was able to tell importers 'here exactly what New Zealand manufacturers have to offer, and iince his return to Auckland he has »een very busy telling New Zealand exporters what Fiji wants, who Yants it, and how they want it.

NZ's Unhappy Balance

The present drive for Islands “fade, as for overseas trade gener ally, has, of course, been inspired by 'few Zealand’s unhappy foreign ex- Ifcange situation, and the Depart ment of Industries and Commerce las some proof that the drive is mready bearing fruit, so far as Fiji ■ concerned.

The principal NZ stumbling block, in recent years, has been Australia’s more favourable rate of exchange as compared with New Zealand. (Australia is 25 per cent, below Sterling; Fiji 12s per cent, below; and NZ on a par with Sterling.) The Department says, however, that the adverse effects of this are often more imaginary than real, for there are some distinct advantages to Fiji importers in dealing with New Zealand.

There is, they say, a much more frequent shipping service from New Zealand to the Eastern Pacific islands than from elsewhere; and the freight rates are often lower.

Moreover, the customer gets fresher products, which is imnortant

in the tropics where deterioration of packages and produce is rapid, The Department urges Islands importers, in whatever part of the Pacific, who are interested in in vestigating New Zealand’s potenti alities as a source of supply, to contact Mr. Davies at CPO, Box 1637, Auckland, and they will be put into touch with interested exporters, At the same time, for the benefit of New Zealand exporters, the office of the Trade Commissioner for the Pacific is compiling extensive files of potential Islands customers in the whole Pacific area, Indications are that the Islands are going to be hearing a good deal more about New Zealand products and manufactures.

Mr. K. W. Davies