Prices In Malayan Market Competitive

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29803, 21 April 1962, Page 13

Prices In Malayan Market Competitive

A Wellington firm which made electric water heaters and other appliances was negotiating to set up a factory in the Federation of Malaya to manufacture its products for sale in Malaya. Singapore and other Asian countries, said Mr S. Liu, marketing officer attached to the New Zealand Trade Commissioner’s office in Singapore. in an ' interview in Christchurch. , Mt Liu. paying his first visit to New Zealand, was addressing an informal gathering of members of the Canterbury Manufacturers’ Associationi New Zealand manufacturers wanting to export goods to Singapore and the Malayan Federation should pay the utmost attention to packaging, said Mr Liu. “A tremendous number of the people in Malaya cannot read and therefore packaging and trade marks become of tremendous importance as selling points. Red is a great selling colour in Malaya,” he said.

‘lnquiries are now afoot for the expert of New Zealand beer to Malaya. The beer need not necessarily be canned. but the bottles would have to be the same size and shape as the local ones so the buyers could collect the money for return of empty bottles.” Mr Liu. who has been in his present post for two years and who was employed with a shipping firm in Singapore previously, said that his job was not buying and selling It was to bring the importers jn Malaya and the exporters and manufacturers from New Zealand together He also explored the market for information about possible exports from New Zealand He had paid the expenses of himself and his wife for his present trip He thought knowing New Zealand and seeing the products made here would be a great advantage in his job. "New Zealand exports to Malaya and Singapore in 1961 were 50 per cent, greater than in 1960. Nevertheless. manufactured products in New Zealand are about 25 per cent- dearer than the same lines competitors export to Malaya and Singapore. It is obvious that New Zealand manufacturers will have to reduce prices to be competitive with exporters from Japan. Hong Kong. Australia, the United King-, dom and France. They may

appreciate the quality of your goods in Malaya but the price is what counts. “Advertising by Australia, and Japan, particularly in the Malayan newspapers, plays a big part in their selling,” said Mr Liu. He considered New Zealand would have to employ Moslems to slaughter meat as Australia did, if it wished to increase its share of the mutton and beef market in Malaya and other Asian countries. To sell more dairy produce, New Zealand would have to work- in with local firms in the federation and Singapore, as it had done with condensed and reconstituted milk.