Copra growers would be helped—

but not in New Guinea!

The faet that, if Britain is admitted to the Common Market, her South Seas territories would be entitled to associated status means that practically all copra producers in the South Pacific wouid g et concessions. Western Samoa and Tonga would probably be entitled to a similar status, and the Cook Islands’ copra exports would not be affected because all these go to New Zealand. 6

T'HE one big copra producer which -*• would get no relief is Papua- New Guinea. She would not come under the umbrella, and she produces more copra than any other South Pacific territory.

These are the annual tonnages that will be produced this year, in New Guinea and other South Pacific terri tories (from information supplied from Mr. Ian McDonald, chairman of the P-NG Copra Marketing Board):

Of this total, the following quan tities go to these destinations:

This leaves exports to the UK m< or less as follows:

This total is practically the wh( of the UK copra requirement.

If Britain joins the Common M: ket then she, in common with h partners, will admit copra and < free of duty. At present the E puts on a 10 per cent, import du on all copra other than produced Commonwealth countries. She pi on a duty of three per cent, on coc nut oil in respect of EFTA country and 15 per cent, in respect of othei This means that P-NG exports w face competition from countries pi viously prevented from exporting the UK because of the 10 per cei barrier.

Mr, McDonald said in Po Moresby in May: “This competitk could seriously interfere with oi sales to the UK but only if the quail of our copra was so much belo other exporting countries that U consumers would decline to buy it.

“Thus, the first and probably mo important point for P-NG copra pn ducers to realise is that quality woul be important, and in fact paramoun if they were to retain the UK ma ket.”

Tons

P-Ng

116,000 French Polynesia 54,000 Fiji 27,000

Bsip

19,000 Western Samoa 15,000 Tonga 10,000 Fanning and Line Isles 7,000

Geic

5,000 Total 253,000

Tons

To Australia: Ex

P-Ng

30,000

Bsip

5,000

To Europe: Ex

P-Ng

15,000* French Polynesia 54,000t * To Genoa and Rotterdam. t To France.

To Japan; Ex

Tons

P -Ng 6,00C

Bsip 5,00(

ex P-NG 65,000 Fiji 27,000

Bsip 9,000

Western Samoa . .. 15,000 Tonga 10.000 Fanning Isles . . .. 7,000

Geic 5,000

Total 138,000