Trade Aid group to press for review

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 34021, 9 December 1975, Page 11

Trade Aid group to press for review

An important part of the Trade Aid (N.Z.) Incorporated activities was to encourage the Government to review its licensing and tariff restrictions against Third World products, the chairman of the group (Mr A. R. Cottrell) said in his report to be presented at the meeting on December 10. With this in mind the group recently made submissions to the Government for removal of all duties and sales tax on goods imported by the group from Third World countries. The group would continue to press for the removal of these restrictions, said Mr Cottrell. It was probably in this field that Trade Aid was doing its most important work. The group was established to promote trade between New Zealand and economically underdeveloped coun-

tries, to trade with and encourage aid and self-help organisations in these countries. and to utilise all profits in expanding this trade and assisting self-help organisations and aid activities in economically underdeveloped countries. The society believes in the right of every man to be al-

lowed to support ms country ■by making and selling tradi- ■ tional crafts, in the obligation ■of wealthy countries to proi vide markets for these goods, ■ and in the necessity for rich ; countries to trade with I poorer countries on terms more favourable to them, I thus righting the imbalance of world trade. I The Trade Aid group has '4O suppliers, including Tonga, [Fiji, Tanzania, Mexico, and Hong Kong. The producers are mainly church groups, village cooperatives or aid programmes with limited funds which employ craftsmen who have no other work they can do. Gross sale of imported goods for the year ended June, 1974, was $9519 and for the year ended June, 1975, $56,179. Exports amounted to $19,650. Trade Aid products are sold in all Third World stores. There are now 14 of these shops throughout the country, and it is hoped to establish four more. EDUCATION

Trade Aid did not want to develop into another efficient importer whose main object was profit, said Mr Cottrell. While Trade Aid was run on business lines, it did include aid education and tried to make sure buyers were aware of the origin of the goods they bought. “We feel we are imple-

menting New Zealand’s stated policy of bettering relations with countries in our part of the world, especially in the Pacific, where our efforts have been praised by Government employees of the countries concerned,” said Mr Cottrell.

The Government made a grant of $40,000 under its foreign aid programme to Trade Aid this year.