N.Z. Queries Statement On Food Imports By Britain

Press, Volume XCV, Issue 28314, 27 June 1957, Page 12

N.Z. Queries Statement On Food Imports By Britain

(New Zealand Press Association)

WELLINGTON, June 26. The United Kingdom attitude in the recent trade talks was very far from a resistance to greater food imports from New Zealand, said the Deputy-Prime Minister (Mr K. J. Holyoake) this evening. Mr Holyoake was commenting on reported remarks by the president of the United Kingdom Board of Trade (Sir David Eccles) on the entry of Commonwealth food products into Britain, Mr Holyoake confirmed that he had by cable asked the New Zealand High Commissioner in the United Kingdom (Sir Clifton Webb) to make inquiries on the grounds that Sir David Eccles’s remarks as reported did not, so far as New Zealand exports were concerned, conform with the spirit or decisions of the recent trade discussions in London.

Sir . David Eccles is reported to have stated that Britain was resisting pressure to take more Commonwealth food so as to maintain agricultural imports from the Continent, in view of the projected free trade treaty area.

The report quotes Sir David Eccles as saying: “At this particular moment. Commonwealth countries are producing more and more, and they are asking Britain to take more. We had long negotiations with

New Zealand and Australia in the last few weeks, but we had to resist because we feel that we must leave the present situation unchanged till we come into the free trade area.” Terms of Communique Mr Holyoake said the report was not in accord with the London discussions or the terms of the joint communique issued by the United Kingdom Government and the mission afterwards. “The representatives of both governments reaffirmed the objectives underlying the Ottawa Agreement to expand trade between the United Kingdom and New Zealand to their mutual advantage, and made this reaffirmation in the joint communique.” Mr Holyoake said the mission had sought assurances from the United Kingdom regarding action to limit the import of meat and dairy products from foreign suppliers. The United Kingdom took the attitude that British policies and international commitments precluded the use of import restrictions in existing circumstances as a means of protecting the New Zealand interest in the United Kingdom market. It was noted, however, that both governments had power to impose anti-dumping and countervailing duties .to protect each other s interests against dumped or subsidised imports. “The missiqn was not successful in achieving limitation of foreign supplies of meat and dairy produce to the United Kingdom, but the United Kingdom attitude was very far from a resistance to greater food imports from New Zealand,” Mr Holyoake said. “Indeed, we now have a right of unrestricted entry for both . dairy produce and meat, and that decision was made in the knowledge of increased production trends in New Zealand.”