Tonga
p. 30 · Read in the full issue
Handbags leave for Auckland WITHIN a month of the start of manu
facturing, Tonga’s Sky High Bags Co
Ltd has shipped its first consignment of 3000 handbags to Auckland. The Have luloto-based factory is a joint Australian- Tongan venture. The company plans to build production to 200,000 bags a year which will be worth about US$l.2 mil lion, and to employ about 300 people.
Trade deficit falls TONGA has reported that its trade de ficit fell 6.7 per cent in 1989 to T 556.1 million (U 5542.5 million), with the main export declines being in consumer goods, food and chemicals. There were increased sales of pumpkin, vanilla beans, knitted garments and live animals.
New Zealand was both main buyer and supplier to Tonga during 1989, with Au stralia the next larget market for Ton gan exports.