TRADE POST IN ATHENS

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30366, 15 February 1964, Page 15

TRADE POST IN ATHENS

Potential For Edibles Seen New Zealand could not regard Greece as a manufacturers’ market for a while, the trade commissionerdesignate to the newlyestablished trade post in Athens (Mr A. C. Davys) yesterday told members of the Canterbury Manufacturers’ Association in an informal meeting. “But I don’t think we should disregard the potential,” Mr Davys said. He did not know whether ■New Zealand would ever sell biscuits there but said that she could. “Greece has a big tourist potential . ... American tourists are moving into these areas. Modern tourists want things as'they get them back at home—they don’t want to ‘rough’ it. This means there will be a market for the high-Class edible products that New Zealand excels in. “This is the sort of thing that we have to look at,” he said. Mr Davys was formerly trade commissioner in Melbourne. When he opens the new Athens post he will have as his territory Greece, Jugoslavia, Crete, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Cyprus, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Turkey and some of the oil states. He said Athens was New Zealand’s eighteenth overseas trade post. . New Zealand’s annual exports to the whole area amounted to about £1 million and Greece accounted for about £350,000 of that figure. Mr Davys said New Zealand could push its Wool, mutton, edible tallow, butter and ghee to this area. New Zealand’s imports from Greece were “very low.” The new post, said Mr Davys, was essential flagflying. We hope it will be long-term, he said.