show in April

NZ exports go on show in April

More than 200 top New Zea land companies will be exhibit ing a wide range of products at the New Zealand Exporters’

Fair to be held on Auckland’s Princes Wharf from April 27 to May 1.

The fair’s Auckland presi dent, and national deputy chair man, Gilbert W. Ullrich, has undertaken a Pacific-wide tour bearing invitations both to gov ernments and private business to attend the fair, which he describes as ‘the premier New Zealand presentation to the Pacific area’, and ‘probably the largest fair in the Pacific’.

An indication of the scope of his promotional work is pro vided in an interview with Guam’s Pacific Daily News of last November 28. The paper reported that he had had meet ings on Nauru during the pre vious week, had been in Palau the day before, and would be addressing Saipan businessmen in a couple of days time. While on Guam he spoke to local businessmen at a meeting at the Guam Hilton.

Mr Ullrich told PDN that New Zealand’s export receipts last year totalled about SUS 6.7 billion, and that exports to the Pacific Islands increased by 27 percent to about $164 million.

He added that New Zealand has trade commission offices in 32 countries.

Mr Hegerhorst’s

travels

The South Pacific Trade Com missioner in Australia, Ron Hegerhorst, last year travelled extensively in the region meet ing government officials and members of the business and financial communities.

On the first leg of his journey ing he visited Tonga, Cook Islands, Western Samoa, Niue, Tuvalu and Fiji. Later in the year he visited Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Nauru, Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati and Vanuatu.

Chief purpose of Mr Hegerhorst’s office, which is funded by the Australian Gov

ernment, is to foster exports to Australia of member countries of the South Pacific Bureau for Economic Co-operation

(Spec).

FSM-Japan fish

talks snagged

Talks have broken down be tween the Micronesian Mari time Authority of the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) and four major Japanese skip jack and tuna fishing organis ations over the renewal of licensing fees for FSM waters.

The talks, held in Hawaii, won’t be resumed for at least four months and Japanese fishing fleets have been banned from operating in FSM waters.

The FSM received from Japan US$2.2 million in cash and $350 000 in goods and services for the 1981 lease. It wants $3.5 million this year, but the Japanese group offers $1.9 million. The Japanese also wanted the system of payment to be switched from a lump sum to a payment per vessel, as the number of vessels operating is decreasing.

The FSM has argued that the value of fish caught in 1982 should range from $92 million to $lO5 million. The Japanese say they won’t compromise.

Marshalls bank

success The new Marshall Islands First Commercial Bank, which began operations recently on Majuro, may have Swiss-slyle numbered accounts. It has asked the Marshalls Government for ap proval.

The bank has named its correspondence banks as the Asia Trust Bank Ltd of Bangkok, the San Paolin Bank of Italy and the Medium Busi ness Bank of Hualien, Taiwan.

The bank is offering a 10 percent share to the public and will contribute 10 percent of its annual net profit to the govern ment for approved projects.

Bank president is Mr Clarence S. B. Tan of Taiwan.

The bank’s early operations

have been encouraging. It is now planning to open a branch of the Bank of Hawaii on Kwajalein islet. It is also work ing on a feasibility study for a floating casino in Majuro la goon.

U.S. ships on

minerals quest

Two US scientific vessels the Kanna Keoki and the Lee have been selected to make a number of cruises in the frame work of the joint United States- Australia-New Zealand project to help South Pacific countries discover undersea mineral re sources in their territorial waters (PIM Aug ‘Bl p 5).

Area of the initial search is bounded by Tonga, Fiji, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu.

Directly participating in the scheme are Fiji, Kiribati, Aus tralia, New Zealand, Japan, Western Samoa, Marshall Islands, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Cook Islands, Papua New Guinea, and Vanuatu.

The United States, the Soviet Union, Canada and France have observer status.