Traders Urge Ban On Cheap Clothes

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29894, 7 August 1962, Page 16

Traders Urge Ban On Cheap Clothes

(New Zealand Press Association)

TAUPO, August 6. Concern at the increasing imports of clothing by private citizens from Hong Kong and other countries of cheap manufacture was expressed at the annual conference of the Textile and Garment Manufacturers’ Federation at Wairakei today.

Delegates resolved that the Minister of Customs (Mr Shelton) be asked to take urgent preventative action on the influx of clothing imports by mail order, and that he be informed that the conference viewed with alarm the effect if this trade on lhe New Zealand economy. Mr K. R. Binney (Auckland) said that the mail ordering of clothing from Hong Kong was nothing more or less than dumping, in an effort to bolster the economy of Communist China. Many of the goods, he said, were manufactured in Shanghai and similar places, and channelled through Hong Kong to find British markets. “Today, New Zealanders are importing car coats, handbags. raincoats, shirts and pyjamas from Hong Kong. What will they be importing tomorrow? Break Down Of Trading “Have you considered the full implications of this?” he asked delegates. “Do you realise the whole present structure of New Zealand trading could be broken down, including our tax collection system?” Mr Binney said that £500.000 was going from the country every year in 5s postal notes to Hong Kong More than £25 million could go if the law was fully utilised, and if this happened the loss of exchange would further restrict import licences for raw materials. “We feel our products are twice as good as the Hong Kong products. We do not mind competition, we just want fair competition.” Mr Binney said that car coats could be purchased in Hong Kong for as little as 30s, whereas the New Zea-land-made product cost from £4 upwards. He recommended that tihe Government place a limit price of £4 on imported car coats, and similarly adjust the prices of other foreign clothing from countries of cheap manufacture. in order to get a better quality and more competitive product. “The clothes imported

from Hong Kong are reasonably well made, of a quite good standard of workmanship, with a slightly inferior material compared with New Zealand models, but they fall to pieces after the.r first dry cleaning,'' said Mr Binney. Mr J. Taylor (Wellington', chief executive office , sa d the federation had already informed Mr Shelton of i.s views on the subject The Minister had been told that Chinese workmen in Hong Kong were paid Is an hour and less, and that the flood i f refugees pouring into Hong Kong did not warrant New Zealand subsidising the products of a low wage rate country. He said the Minister had already been asked to give serious consideration to the exclusion of clothing from the lists of imports allowed by New Zealand residents. Up to £lO worth of goods in any one order can be imported into New Zealand by a resident under the present import licensing schedu'e Remittance can be made by British postal notes. 5s value, which can only be bought one at a time.