2 TRADE MISSIONS PLANNED FOR 1963

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29890, 2 August 1962, Page 16

2 TRADE MISSIONS PLANNED FOR 1963

(New Zealand Press Association)

WELLINGTON, Aug. 1. The New Zealand Manufacturers' Federation today decided to send two trade missions overseas next year —to the Pacific seaboard of North America and to Australia. Both will have about. 20 members. The decision comes after the reported success of the federation’s first major trade mission, which is at present in the Pacific Islands. The mission to North America will leave about mid-year for Hawaii, Los Angeles. San Francisco, Seattle and Vancouver. The mission to Australia will visit Sydney. Canberra. Melbourne and Adelaide. Plans for both are tentative. and the itineraries could be expanded, said the federation’s public relations officer (Mr R. C. Macdonald) today. The federation’s export action committee recommended the missions because of the great potential for the sale of New Zealand manufactured goods in the high cost consuming areas of North America and Australia. said Mr Macdonald.

The last Budget's provision for financial assistance in export promotion ensured that enough manufacturers would be interested in the missions to make them a success. About eight New Zealand firms are now exporting manufactured goods to North America, and the mission

there would hope to increase that considerably. There was a 40-strong trade mission to Australia promoted by the Government in 1959. The trade mission in the Pacific was in the New Hebrides today. It is visiting all the main islands of the South Pacific and will return to Auckland tomorrow week The federation hopes to organise a trade mission to the Far East in 1964.