Freer Tasman Trade Progress ‘Siow.

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30498, 21 July 1964, Page 13

Freer Tasman Trade Progress ‘Siow .

(N Z. Press Assn. —Copyright) SYDNEY. July 20. In spite of a number of mildly optimistic forecasts in the last year, progress towards the adoption of a limited free trade area between Australia and New Zealand had proved to be disappointingly slow, said an

editorial in the “Sydney Morning Herald” today. "Last week, Mr McEwen himself contributed to the tone of extreme caution which the representatives of both countries now habitually adopt when discussing the proposal. Reminding us that he is due to meet the New Zealand Minister of Trade. Mr Marshall, later this year, he noted that there is nothing final about the report already prepared by officials of the two countries.

“This sounds very much as though the goal is getting no nearer. The comment should be read in conjunction, too, with the repeated assurances given in recent months to apprehensive New Zealand manufacturers. More than once their Government has stressed that the talks of the last year have been exploratory and have involved no commitment,” it said.

“As far as the people of both countries ere concerned, remarkably little information about the precise topics discussed by the two sets of officials has come to light. There has been a touching solicitude for hip-pocket nerves in both countries.