N.Z. LAMB IN U.S.

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 29070, 5 December 1959, Page 15

N.Z. LAMB IN U.S.

Inquiry To Be Held

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) WASHINGTON, Dacember 3. The United States Tariff Commission today announced that it WO V! d hold hearings beginning on March 22 to determine whether i 1 1? and mu tton imports—including those from Australia and New Zealand—were threatening injury to the home industry. The commission thus reversed its own decision, made less than 24 hours beforehand, not to hold such an investigation. The decision was taken in response to an appeal by domestic interests, who claimed that growing imports of mutton from New Zealand alone threatened to “ruin our domestic sheep industry.” Australia was also a big exporter of lamb and mutton to the United States.

A Tariff Commission finding stated that this meat was being imported into the United States in such quantity as to cause or threaten serious injury to the domestic industry and could lead to higher tariffs or import quotas.

The present tariff, described as “extremely low’’ by the domestic industry, is 3.5 cents a lb on lamb and 2.5 cents a lb on mutton. The National Wool Growers’ Association, in its appeal for a Tariff Commission escape clause investigation which was made public today, claimed that lamb and mutton imports totalled 39.600,0001 b during the first eight months of 1959, compared with only 23,900,0001 b for the whole of 1958. The association demanded an import quota. “Imports of lamb during the first six months of 1959 were 528 per cent, higher than they were in the first six months of 1956.” the association wrote.

“Imports of mutton during the same period increased 6842 per cent.”

The National Wool Growers' Association added that leaders of New Zealand Meat Producers’ Board were at present in the United States seeking outlets for 1,000,000 New Zealand lamb carcases to be shipped within the next 12 months.

“Without even considering lamb and mutton imports from Australia and Iceland the above 1,000.000 carcases, if permitted to come here under our present extremely low tariff, would ruin our domestic sheep industry,” the association said.