Shipping Delays Jeopardise Sales

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31633, 20 March 1968, Page 1

Shipping Delays Jeopardise Sales

Some hard-won export orders were in jeopardy because regular shipping from the South Island was not available, the president of the Canterbury Manufacturers’ Association (Mr A. S. Farrar) said yesterday.

Contracts with Australian and Honolulu firms could lapse unless South Island firms could get their goods to the new markets on time. Mr Farrar said that several substantial orders to Australia had been delayed up to three weeks because the Union Steam Ship Company’s ship Waimea was not running on schedule.

Other goods for Honolulu could not be shipped except through Auckland. The managing director of an electrical firm (Mr R. H. Stewart) said he had been sending goods to Australia by air at great cost to keep faith with dealers and meet supply deadlines. Manufacturers of furniture, rugs, blankets and foodstuffs are affected by the delay to the Waimea. The association will take up the matter with the shipping sub-committee of the Manufacturers’ Federation to find out when the roll-on, rolloff service to Auckland will begin and what other relief can be given to South Island exporters. A spokesman for the Union

Steam Ship Company said yesterday it was unlikely that the Waimea would sail for Sydney before April 2. The ship was now at Lyttelton but would have to visit ports south of Lyttelton before returning and going to Australia. The ship had been delayed in Australian waters by industrial trouble and having to put back to port with a sick seaman.