U.K. “Prepared To Compete In N.Z.”

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31448, 15 August 1967, Page 8

U.K. “Prepared To Compete In N.Z.”

fW.Z. Press Association) AUCKLAND, August 14. British businessmen no longer took the New Zealand market for granted and were prepared to meet the double challenge of high standards and foreign competition, Mr B. H. Hale, executive secretary of the New Zealand Committee of the British National Export Council, said in Auckland. Mr Hale, who is beginning a month’s fact-finding tour, said New Zealand was still a sizeable market and Britain was determined to increase her share of imports, which had been losing ground to foreign countries, especially Japan, in the last few years. Asked if the possible British entry to the European Ecopomic Community would mean less importance being placed on the New Zealand market, Mr Hale said:— “When you are expanding you don’t drop one of the best customers you have, you build.” Mr Hale added that the British businessman looking toward the E.E.C. had no intention of dropping the

Commonwealth for Europe. The idea was to tack Europe on to the Commonwealth. Ten Missions Mr Hale said British exporters looked upon New Zealanders as tough businessmen, wanting the right quality product at the right price and, just as important, at the right time. They had no misconceptions about the market. “This is not just talk,” said Mr Hale. "In the last 18 months, 10 hard-selling trade missions, partly financed by the Export Council’s New Zealand committee, have been here and had a great deal of success. “Many more are being planned and one of my main jobs is to find out what sort of missions would be most welcome and what sort of opportunities there are for them.” Mr Hale said the British businessman should not be deterred by local import restrictions. More than a third of New Bealand imports were free of restrictions and businessmen were being urged to get out here and make the most of it.