NEW ZEALAND AND G.A.T.T.

Press, Volume XCII, Issue 27782, 6 October 1955, Page 10

NEW ZEALAND AND G.A.T.T.

“COMPLETE SECRECY ON POSITION”

GOVERNMENT POLICY CRITICISED

An air of complete and utter secrecy surrounds New Zealand’s official position in relation to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, according to the ‘‘New Zealand Manufacturer,” the official journal of the New Zealand Manufacturers’ Federation.

‘‘This is partly understandable because it is such a complex document that the finer points of it are probably understood by comparatively few people. But in a matter so important and far-reaching, the interests vitally affected —and in fact the people generally—should have as much information as possible made available to them,” says the journal. Japan had been admitted to G.A.T.T. The United Kingdom and Australia had stated how they voted and how they would be affected—not so New Zealand. Tariff bindings had been renewed until December, 1957, but no announcement had been made whether previous bindings had been extended in toto or whether the schedules had been modified. “Even such an important thing as the text of the new agreement has not been released in New Zealand and we have to rely for this important information on White Papers issued in other countries. ‘‘lt is open to very serious question whether the agreement or its proposed successor, the Organisation for Trade Co-operation, are of any practical value to New Zealand—in fact they are likely to prove the very opposite.” says the journal. The new agreement was a very onesided affair. It aimed to open up trade in manufactured goods and allow greater freedom to the major industrial exporting countries, while tying the hands of developing countries such as New Zealand, and limiting the protection they could give to growing industries. At the same time it expressly allowed the major industrial countries to take special measures to protect their farm producers against the very products which New Zealand exported to world markets. ‘‘Thus G.A.T.T. and O.T.C. strike at both our primary and our manufacturing industries. They strike at our primary industries by sanctioning the use of quotas, and they strike at our manufacturing industries by denying us the right to use the same instrument of quantitative restrictions on imported manufactured goods. “Canada, the United States and Germany have told us they do not want certain of our primary exports. Yet they are among the architects of G.A.T.T., and are trying to promote the freer entry of manufactured goods into New Zealand, goods which in many cases we can make very well and in sufficient quantities ourselves. “Before any agreement can be acceptable it must be based on fair play and the same rules for all,” concluded the editorial.