NEW ZEALAND MEAT

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 53, Issue 273, 30 August 1933, Page 7

NEW ZEALAND MEAT

_»~ _ NO MARKET ON CONTINENT. DRASTIC RESTRICTIONS. (Special to the " Guardian.") WELLINGTON, August 29. No better evidence of the difficulties of international trading can be found than in the position that faces New Zealand meat exporters in their desire to do business with the countries oi Continental Europe. Tariffs, quotas and stringent veterinary restrictions combine to pile up the handicaps. Information on these subjects is regularly secured by the New Zealand Meat Producers' Board, and it has recently made a summary of the facts, as they exist to-day. Tin's discloses that there is very little prospect, if any, of extending the export of New Zealand meat into most of the Continental countries.

There might be some possiblity of development in Belgium, but the first outstanding fact in the board's survey relating to that country is that Belgium does not import lamb. It takes outside supplies of beef and mutton, but South American competition ha; so far excluded New Zealand on a price basis. In any case, imports into Belgium are on a quota, amounting to nine-tenths of the .imports for the year 1931, while there are Customs duties, and a sales tax of 5 per cent, of the duty-paid value. Germany has abandoned the quota principle in favour of much more drastic restrictions of a veterma^,* uoiure. Whole carcases only may be imported, and the various organs must remain attached, in their natural positions. These measures were designed to protect the German agricultural industry. Norway simply prohibits the importation of all classes of frozen meat, while its. neighbour, Sweden, requires such an elaborate system of veterinary inspection at time of slaughtering, and of marks and certificates, that business could not be profitably conducted with that country. The board's London officers who looked into the possibilities of trade with Sweden were informed by the Commercial Councillor of the British Legation at Stockholm that the Swedish Medical Board do not regard frozen meat exported from New Zealand as complying with their requirements. Its import into Swede)' adds the British authority, is therefore not permitted. In the Netherlands the quota prevails, so that apart from some other difficulties which present themselves, this principle bars New Zealand meat, the reason being tho? import tv pOMc, beef and veal are subject to a quota based on the previous year's imports. As New Zealand has had no business with the Netherlands it cannot obtain a quota. France allows meat imports on a quota basis, fixed quarterly in advance, and it imposes the following duties. Lamb, 180 francs per kilo; mutton, 260 francs; pork, ISO francs; and beef, 180 francs per kilo. In addition, there is an import tax ranging from 25 to 50 cents per kilo. Italy has extensive veterinary regulations in respect to meat importations, and imposes a duty of 140 lira per 100 kilo on New Zealand imports, a basis which extends to nearly all countries, and gives no special preference, though in any case, the '-most favoured nation" clause under which New Zealand may export to, Italy is entirely at the discretion of the Ministry of Finance, which may change the duty to 200 lira per 100 kilos without notice.

Spain is not an importer of frozen meat.

Denmark, by a decree of 1924, prohibited the importation of New Zea land frozen lamb, mutton, beei a> pork. This decree, it is understood, is still effective, though at the time of reporting the board was making further inquiries to ascertain if there has been any recent variation,

Under the difficult conditions which have been enumerated, it is extremely unlikely that exporters, in-the ordinary course of business, would venture to consign meat to most of the Continental countries.

With regard to new markets generally, the Meat Board has always been keenly alive to the desirability of establishing new markets for our meat wherever possible, and has from time to time purchased and sent forward on consignment shipments of meat to test markets. The resultant information, including details of realisation, is circulated to all those in New Zealand who misrht be in a position to take advantage of the opportunity thus created.