Pacific Commerce and Produce
p. 151 · Read in the full issue
The Common Market How Will Islands Produce Fare?
Prime Minister Macmillan’s an uncement on July 31 that Britain mid negotiate to join the European onomic Community (the Common irket) was not greeted with any musiasm in Australia, NZ, or sifc Territories.
IR, MACMILLAN categorically stated that Britain would join I Market “only if satisfactory pngements can be made to meet I special needs of UK and of the immonwealth”.
Islands governments, therefore, can ly hope that this means their crests will be kept in mind, since th major products as copra, coconut i and sugar depend largely upon ; British preferential market, provision is made in the Rome jfaty governing EEC for “associated fcrseas territories”, so Fiji, Solomons, Ibert & Ellice and, probably, Tonga, uld string along too, if UK enters I Common Market, and still enjoy me preference. By the same token, High, they would have to open sir doors freely to produce and ■mfactured goods from the Big [.
Papua-New Guinea (like Australia) d the Cook Is. and West Samoa ke NZ) could be at a grave dis fantage with their coconut pro-
ducts, not so much from tariffs as from competition by the Big Six’s own “associated territories”. No doubt P-NG would look to Japan and Sth. America for alternative markets.
Until Britain negotiates the terms of entry and Commonwealth countries see exactly how their present trade agreements with UK might fare, dis cussion of probable effects is mainly in the realm of speculation.
lon g Australian exhibitors at the first Mt. gen Show, to be held in NG Highlands on ptember 23-24, will be Firth Cleveland Pty. d., of Victoria, manufacturers of Landmaster nge of light agricultural machinery. Mr. nnis Griffin (above) will be in charge of the exhibit.