WILL RESIST DUMPING

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31539, 29 November 1967, Page 28

WILL RESIST DUMPING

(Special Correspondent N.Z.P.A.) LONDON, November 28. The New Zealand Deputy Prime Minister (Mr Marshall) said last night that the Dairy Board was prepared to engage in a price-cutting war against butter dumpers to hold its established markets.

He also told a press conference that he did not envisage higher prices for New Zealand butter on the British market as a result of devaluation.

Mr Marshall used the conference to press home New Zealand's feeling that a crisis had arisen on international dairy produce markets and to emphasise that New Zealand was still Britain’s best overseas customer.

He said the European Economic Community, with its rising surpluses, was flooding some of New Zealand’s limited number of markets outside the United Kingdom with heavily subsidised butter.

“The attitude of our Dairy Board is that we cannot afford to lose our established markets and therefore, if necessary, we will compete on price. The net result is we would get a reduced price—and the E.E.C. would not be able to get rid of its surplus.” Mr Marshall said New Zealand believed that if such a situation was not to occur, limitations of subsidies and rules of trade would have to be worked out among the world’s producers of dairy products.

MARKET TALKS Mr Marshall described his talks with Lord Chalfont, head of Britain's E.E.C. negotiating team, as "useful” and said he was satisfied with the.

way Britain had so far presented New Zealand’s case for special treatment. He did not sense any slowing down in Britain’s efforts to join the E.E.C. but felt the test might occur on December 18 (at a meeting of the E.E.C. Council of Ministers) when a “much clearer indication will arise on the prospect of negotiations.”