Singapore Sanctions On Dutch Imports

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30531, 28 August 1964, Page 12

Singapore Sanctions On Dutch Imports

(N.Z.P. A.-Reuter—Copyright) SINGAPORE, August 26. Dutch goods are subject to specific import licensing as from today because of Dutch help to Indonesia in her economic “confrontation” of Malaysia, the Singapore Government announced yesterday.

The prohibition of specific imports from Holland was also under consideration, the announcement said.

On August 2 the Dutch Government announced it had guaranteed Indonesia 100 m guilders (about £10m) worth of export credits for next year.

The announcement followed a visit to Indonesia by Dr. Josef Luns, the Dutch Foreign

Minister, in return for a trip to Holland by Dr. Subandrio, his Indonesian opposite number. The visits marked increasing co-operation between the two countries ■ since diplomatic relations were resumed last year after three years’ rupture over West Irian, the former Dutch West New Guinea. Today’s announcement said the import licensing was necessary “because of the help which the Dutch Government had extended to Indonesia better to continue her economic confrontation of Malaysia.”

The licensing will apply to “goods of Netherlands origin consigned from any country,” the announcement said.

Today’s announcement followed a statement yesterday by the Singapore Finance Minister (Dr. Goh Keng Swee) that he proposed to ban certain British goods if the British Board of Trade refused to negotiate on its restrictions on imports of Singapoi'e-mariufactured cotton goods.

Officials in The -Hague tonight declined to comment on the Singapore measures. The Dutch authorities themselves have learned of the Singapore Government’s decision only from newspaper reports so far.

According to official figures, Dutch imports to the whole of Malaysia in the first six months of this year were worth 51,367,000 guilders, as compared with 33,853,000 guilders for the same period last year. A Dutch guilder is worth 2s 3d in New Zealand currency.