Scope For Exports To Taiwan

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31830, 7 November 1968, Page 12

Scope For Exports To Taiwan

Wool, daily products and wood pulp are three New Zealand exports in which Taiwan is interested, according to the economic counsellor to the Republic of China Embassies in Australia and New Zealand (Mr Y. K. Ling) who arrived in Christchurch yesterday.

With him on a comprehensive tour assessing trade prospects between the two countries is Mr I. C. Liang, regional representative of the Central Trust of China, a Government buying organisation which also handles insurance and trust services.

Mr Ling has been in Wellington for a week and has met repersentatives of Government, business and manufacturing. Their reaction to the development of two-way trade was generally encouraging, he said. Discussing prospects for specific commodities from New Zealand, Mr Ling said several shipments of paper pulp had been sent from New Zealand to Taiwan. If this proved acceptable—and Taiwan importers wanted to make sure that it was of the right quality for the paper industry there—then there was every prospect of repeat orders, he said His country also imported wheat, and dairy produee, including milk powder, Mr Ling

said. Milk biscuits and some cheese had been sent from New Zealand for trial in schools, and a report on the success of this was awaited. Taiwan also bought some wool from New Zealand this was used in the manufacture of rugs and carpets, said Mr Ling. “We have quite a good market for these in the United States and Canada," he said. “The making of rugs was quite a big industry in mainland China in the old days, and we still possess the skills.”

Mr Ling said efforts were being made by the provincial Government in Taiwan to encourage rug-making as a handicraft industry in rural areas. In this way it was hoped to use surplus labour in farm areas and prevent too many people moving to urban areas.

Negotiations had begun with the Wool Board, arid representatives of the wool industry in New Zealand, about the development of a rug industry in Taiwan using wool from this country, Mr Ling said. It was rather early yet to predict the outcome, but the prospects were bright.' Mr Ling said there was opportunity for some sort of joint venture involving dairying. New Zealand had the technical know-how and Taiwan had the labour; perhaps there was scope for some of New Zealand’s dairy cows to be shipped to Taiwan, and for more dairy products to be exported, and perhaps processed there.

In Wellington, said Mr Ling, he had- met the Deputy Prime Minister (Mr Marshall) and had told him that there was room for New Zealand to impoi't iron and steel products.

Taiwan exported up to s6om worth of iron and steel products a year, and New Zealand imported similar goods worth s7om, he said. Plastic produced in Taiwan was another export that had developed tremendously in the last five years, and in view of sale of this in Australia; ' there was obviously scope' 'for sales in New Zealand. Taiwan was the third largest’ sugar exporter in the world,' and this was another cornm'odity she was prepared

te sell on a competitive basis. Mr Ling said that in his own country, the emphasis was mainly on increasing exports. But in his job, he was prepared to take the initiative and explore the obvious opportunity for increased exports from Australia and New Zealand. Two-way trade, he added, would inevitably follow.

Both commercial diplomats will be in Christchurch until Saturday. They have yet to visit southern cities and Auckland, and before they leave they will meet manufacturers and trade representatives in the city. The picture shows Mr Ling (left) and Mr Liang.