MORE TRADE WITH SWEDEN

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21732, 14 March 1936, Page 18

MORE TRADE WITH SWEDEN

♦"" •. DIRECT EXCHANGE OF GOODS PROPOSALS OF SWEDISH CHAMBER

Only about 10 per cent, of a considerable trade between New Zealand and Sweden travels between the two countries without first passing through Great Britain or the Continent. The Swedish Chamber of Commerce considers that this lack of direct contact is a great hindrance to a trade which could be developed well beyond its present proportions, and it is keen not only to expand business with New Zealand, but to have a direct exchange of goods at the earliest possible moment. ; On a mission to promote a greater trade and to encourage a direct contact between the two countries, Mr G. M. Lindergren, of Sydney, editdr of the “Swedish-Australian and SwedishNew Zealand Trade Journal,” is on a tour of New Zealand. He arrived in Christchurch yesterday and at a luncheon at the Farmers’ luncheon rooms, attended by representative business men, he presented enlightening facts and figures of the trade between New Zealand and Sweden. Mr Lindergren was welcomed ana introduced by Mr W. Machin, viceconsul for Sweden in Christchurch, who presided. . Mr Machin spoke of Sweden’s success in the management of her currency and finances, which had enabled her to pass through .the depression with less hardship than other nations. Benefit to Two Parties After thanking Mr Machin for this opportunity to meet business men of the city, Mr Lindergren described the early development of trade between New Zealand and the two countries. It was only natural, he said, that the bulk of the trade should at first have come through London, but now trade in many articles could far better come by more direct means. This would mean either that the Swedish importers paid less for and therefore bought more of New Zealand goods, or that New Zealand exporters received more for their products. The Swedish Chamber of Commerce fully appreciated the fact that New Zealand had been a very good market for Swedish products. t It believed in the give and take policy and was anxious therefore to encourage imports from New Zealand. In this it had already achieved considerable SUCC6SS, Only a few years ago, exports from New Zealand to Sweeten were very small. In 1920 they were worth only about £2O, in 1930 £7OOO, and in 1934 £117.000. In 1935 the trade fell away to £47,000. The falling-off was principally due to Sweden’s purchase of more wool in London and on the Continent, Indirect Trade It must be remembered, Mr Lindergren said, that these figures accounte4 for only a very small part of the New Zealand exports to Sweden. Sweden actually bought very large quantities of New Zealand goods, but a recent investigation showed that during certain months of 1934 the percentage of New Zealand goods bought direct was only 10. A fair estimate would be that 90 per cent, of the goods bought went through Britain or the Continent, A very satisfactory feature of the latest statistics was that Sweden imported so many different types of goods. Whereas in the first plaCe the imports had been confined to w6ol, there was now a trade in apples, kauri gum, scheelite, hides, and skins. He emphasised the possibility of developing a much greater trade in apples and sausage casings. In 1934 the value of apples sent from New Zealand to Sweden was £280,000. Closer Contact In the interests of the Swedish Chamber of Commerce, he was trying to meet as many exporters here as possible and interest them in a direct trade. The chamber believed that with the development of a direct trade there was. every probability that larger quantities of goods would be sold. Sweden was a prosperous country, considered probably the most prosperous in Europe, and it offered security in trade. A direct trade had been developed with Australia for more than 25 years, and consequently the voluine of goods exchanged increased rapidly. It was confidently felt that similar results could be achieved in New Zealand.* Swedish exports to New Zealand consisted chiefly of separators, vacuum cleaners, machinery, hardware, tools, wood pulp, paper board, and box boards for butter boxes. - Mr Lindergren was warmly applauded for his address. He was accorded a vote of thanks, on the motion of Mr F. W. Hobbs, president of the Canterbury Chamber of ‘ Commerce.