yV.Z. Manufactured Goods Export Urged

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30157, 14 June 1963, Page 5

yV.Z. Manufactured Goods Export Urged

One of the major stumbling-blocks in the way of increasing New Zealand exports of manufactured goods was the belief, held too frequently, that many New Zealand goods were not up to overseas standards of quality, said a former New Zealand Trade Commissioner. Mr R. Jackson, in the first issue of the trade magazine, “Unibox Packaging.” "This is simply not so,” he said. “The great majority of our manufactured products

are. like our primary products. fully up to international standard.”

Mr Jackson quoted a case of a South Island electric jug-maker, who found that his jugs were “years ahead” of similar Australian products. He had no difficulty in winning substantial export orders.

Another major stumblingblock to increasing exports of secondary goods, said Mr Jackson, was the fact that the output of many New Zealand manufacturers was fully committed to local consumption. In many cases an export market could be developed for their products.

“It is a moot point whether these manufacturers are not depending too much on a continuation of a booming local demand.” he said.

“If they are the day may well come when they would be happy to have an overseas market. But it may be too late to go looking for export trade when local demand drops.” The question of packaging, said Mr Jackson, was one of the paramount factors in winning overseas acceptance of our goods. “The pack must be examined with overseas eyes when it is destined for overseas selling.” he said. “If it does not measure up to overseas standards, it must be changed—fast.”