EXPORT TRADE PROSPECTS.

Press, Volume LXIX, Issue 20920, 29 July 1933, Page 11

EXPORT TRADE PROSPECTS.

♦ OVERSEAS MARKETING. BUTTER AND CHEESE SUPPLIES. ■ . The opinion that Great Britain was in a better position to-day than any other European country, and that trade generally was showing a distinct, if moderate, improvement, was expressed in an interview yesterday by Mr F. Warren, C.8.E., managing director of J. and J. Lonsdale and Company, Limited, one of the oldest and largest of London's produce houses. Mr Warren, who discussed various aspects of New Zealand's primary export trade, was director of butter and ciieesc supplies at the British Ministry of Food during the war and, while holding that position, he worked in close contact not only with foreign governments but also with the Dominion authorities from whom Great Britain was drawing produce supplies. He also served on many British and allied committees both at Home and abroad during and immediately after the war. In the first statement made by him for publication since reaching New Zealand, Mr Warren said that his firm had been distributing produce in the Old Country for about 100 years, but it would not handle butter, cheese, or eggs unless they were of Empire origin. "We are therefore confining our efforts to the extension of markets not only in the Old Country, but also in Europe wherever possible." lie said. Trade Improvement. "It is live years since I was in i New Zealand, and conditions the world over have become increasingly difficult since then owing to the masses of unemployed in the various industrial countries. Although we have had 3,000,000 unemployed, which figure has now ! | been reduced to 2,500,000, I consider that Great Britain is in a far bet- I j ter position than any other coun- j j try in Europe. I "I think the fact that we have i been able to reabsorb 500,0UU un- \ j employed since the end of last year, j ! together with the gradual rise which has taken place in the prices of a large number of commodities, not least of which has been the rise in J wool prices, does indicate that | Great Britain is a little better off , than she was at the worst point, j I am not going to say that there ' is the prospect for materially higher prices, but I do feel that this advance in all kinds of commodities, together with the increased employment, indicates that trade generally is distinctly better than it was last year." Mr Warren was asked tor an opinion on the quota principle. "I would say straight out,'' he replied, "that there are so many problems before the producers and distributors at the present time, that I would prefer not to touch on that question at all. Your Prime Minister and other Empire representatives are negotiating in London with the British Government with respect to the future, and I would be extremely sorry to make any comment that might, possibly, be an embanassment to the negotiations taking place. Canadian Cheese Prices. "There is, however, one thing to which I would like to draw attention, and this particularly concerns the cheese producers of this Dominion. I refer to the erroneous idea which exists as to the value of Canadian and New Zealand cheese in the British market. It was stated in a newspaper article this morning that there is a difference of from 18s to 20s between the price of Canadian and New Zealand cheese. Such a margin as the one mentioned can only refer to the small quantity of last season's cheese which had been matured to cater for the higher class retail j trade. The bulk of the Canadian cheese goes intg consumption about the same age as your own cheese. As a fact, the price quoted on June 20 for Canadian cheese of June production was 575, London, as against 53s for New Zealand. I am arranging that quotations for Canadian cheese on the British market of a similar age to New Zealand cheese shall be available to the producers of the Dominion in the future." Discussing the efforts being made by this country to expand its export of eggs, Mr Warren said his firm was one of the leading distributors of Empire eggs, and he was very pleased to know that New Zealand was endeavouring to increase its sales in Great Britain. His firm, with an organisation which covered the whole of Great Britain, was able to provide distributing facilities second to none in the trade, and it was hoped to build up a satisfactory trade throughout the country for New Zealand exporters. West Coast Market. It was the practice of his firm to ship butter and cheese to _ West Coast of England ports, and it was hoped to distribute New Zealand eggs in the same way, obtaining the highest possible market price where eggs were required, so encouraging the building up of this comparatively new export trade for the Dominion. "In my opinion," Mr Warren added, "there is nothing like personal contact, and it is with a view to meeting producers that I am making this extended tour. Since October last I have visited several European countries, South Africa, and Canada, and I shall be returning via Australia. In this way I hope to form a thoroughly up-to-date idea of the prospects for production in the various parts of the Empire for the next few years." He said he had arrived in New Zealand on May 15, and until the beginning of this week he had been in the North Island inspecting dairy factories and meeting producers. His intention was now to make a similar tour of producing centres in the South Island. EMPIRE TRADING. NEW ZEALAND AND BRITAIN. The increase in New Zealand's preference for British goods rather than foreign is keenly appreciated at Home, and should do much to

assist an improvement in trading relations between the two countries according to a statement by Mr F Warren, C.8.E., managing directoi of J. and J. Lonsdale and Company Limited, a leading firm of Londor produce merchants, in an interview yesterday. "I am very pleased indeed to see '<. much larger number of British products in New Zealand as comparec with five years ago when I las' visited this country," Mr Warrer remarked. "Perhaps the motor-cai is the thing most readily seen, anc it is certainly gratifying to see sucl ian increase in the number o: I British-made cars. "I can assure the people of the Dominion that this large increase h business for British cars is verj keenly appreciated by the people a' Home. The more orders you car give us, the more we will be abl< to reduce the numbers of our unemployed, who in return will be able through wages, instead of th< dole, to purchase considerablj larger quantities of Empire produc( at a somewhat higher price."