Problems Of Trade With Singapore

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31383, 31 May 1967, Page 8

Problems Of Trade With Singapore

A drying-up process in the expansion of Singapore seemed to exist today, said Mr R. H. Stewart, who will lead the New Zealand Trade Mission to South-east Asia later this year. He said industrial enterprise was not proceeding in Singapore in the way it would like to.

He was speaking at an informal meeting of members of the Canterbury Manufacturers’ Association who met the New Zealand Trade Commissioner designate for Singapore (Mr B. J. Grimstone) on Monday. There had been changes, even in the last year, between Malaysia and Singapore. He said that Mr Grimstone, in going to Singapore at this particular time, was being entrusted with a tremendous responsibility. He was going at a time when there could be troops leaving and when there was a denial of Singapore’s exports by Malaysian customs barriers.

Mr Stewart Said that in recent years. New Zealand had looked upon Singapore and Malaysia in the same sense. He saw significant changes today. Mr Grimstone said that a

problem of concern was the probable withdrawal of troops from Singapore. It could possibly effect New Zealand’s trade there because New Zealand supplied a lot of food. H e said it was important to find other local markets there to take over from what the European population was using. Mr Grimstone said New Zealand trade with Singapore had switched from twoto-one in their favour, to two-to-one in our favour. This trend was continuing. A former president of the New Zealand Manufacturers' Federation (Mr J. R. Maddren) said that opportunities for export from New Zealand to Singapore available two or three years ago, might not be available now.

This could necessitate a change-over from exporting finished products, to component parts. If New Zealand did this, it would still have its foot firmly in the door.

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