SPECIALIST GOODS

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30535, 2 September 1964, Page 11

SPECIALIST GOODS

Hope Of Sales In U S. (N.Z. press Attoeiatton) AUCKLAND, Sept 1. New Zealand manufacturers’ best chance of breaking into the North American west coast market was through high quality, specialist goods, Mr J. N. Tattersfield, leader of last month's trade mission to the region, said today. He returned home last evening. New Zealand products were as good, and in many cases better, than those made in America.

Where the market lay was in those fields considered too small to be catered for by American producers. These off-beat avenues may be small In terms of turn-over as the Americans see them, but would be quite substantial on our standards,’* said Mr Tattersfield. Mission members had gained some orders and a full appreciation of what was involved in selling to the west coast market Mr Tattersfield said he thought New Zealand’s best chances lay in sales to cities such as Portland and Seattle. Competition appeared to be too strong in the bigger cities like San Francisco and Los Angeles. On his way home he stopped to look for markets in Tahiti, Samoa and Fiji. ‘I found the Australians are really putting it across us in the islands,’’ he said.

“Their big advantage is in the lower value of their currency. The difference between the value of our £ and the Australian £ represents the cost of freight and duty for goods being sent to the islands.”