Japan 'looking at meat import quotas’

Press, 29 May 1978, Page 6

Japan 'looking at meat import quotas’

PA Napier Japan is making a “positive and serious” move towards meeting New Zealand’s. concern about meat exports, according to the Prime Minister (Mr Muldoon).

The Japanese had held the basic price of beef to the same level as last year, he said. “The result is that the retail price has cornu down by 4.1 per cent, against a rise in the consumers’ price index over the period of 4.8 per cent.”

The Japanese had also improved the distribution system by setting up more "meat centres,” where meat is sold at a 10 per cent discount.

“The effect of this will be to increase consumption, and

thus obviously imports,” said Mr Muldoon. “They are looking seriously, although they have not made a final decision, at having annual quotas, which was what we were asking of them. “As far as the purchase of New Zealand dairy products is concerned, we have learnt again that this is not going to be a oncer,” he said.

"This is something they proposed to do on a longerterm basis, so that it makes it more acceptable to us. All in all, it is clear that after Mr Suzuki’s first visit to New Zealand and the pressure put upon him by the United States in the same kind of area, the Japanese Government is making a positive and serious move towards meeting the concerns that we have expressed,” said Mr Muldoon.