LIFTING IMPORT CONTROL

Press, Volume LXXXVII, Issue 26397, 16 April 1951, Page 3

LIFTING IMPORT CONTROL

VIEWS OF GARMENT MANUFACTURERS APPROPRIATE TARIFFS WANTED (New Zealand Press Association) HASTINGS, April 15. “No objections are held by garment manufacturers to the lifting of import control or in fact the lifting of all controls, but they are not happy about the speed and determination with which the Government is bringing this about,’’ said Mr J. Abel, president of the New Zealand Garment Manufacturers’ Federation in a statement yesterday. Mr Abel’s statement followed the announcement by the Board of Trade that controls were likely to be lifted from 200 more items. Mr Abel said that the publication ofthe list did not necessarily mean that imports would oe allowed. It placed the industries concerned, however, in an unfavourable position to have to defend themselves so promptly in such rapidly changing world trading conditions.

“With the lifting of import control the garment makers want the imposition of appropriate tariffs and an examination and analysis made of dumping end of the season goods, jobbing and other deceptive exporting,” said Mr Abel. We also want the right of the New Zealand manufacturer to export overseas on equal terms and to have the same freedom of access to raw materials and machinery as those countries have who want to export to New Zealand.

“There is need for a complete revision of the tariff on made-up garments, including a fresh examination of the effect of the duty on raw materials compared with the finished garments. It is also desired that there be compulsory branding of the country of origin on all imported made-up goods and of goods made in New Zealand. As imported goods are allowed a certain profit irrespective of cost, the New Zealand manufacturer demands that he should have an automatic lifting of the price control on his goods to bring him in line with the importer.”