Visitor selling glass, ceramics

Press, 3 July 1979, Page 25

Visitor selling glass, ceramics

One of the nine members of a Philippines trade mission to New Zealand, Mr Flavio Coslo, has said in Christchurch that the recently imposed sales tax on ceramics would serve to “make the market more competitive,” ceramic materials being one of his country’s main export items. Mr Cosio visited Christchurch briefly before going to Auckland last week for a reception, and then to Melbourne and Sydney.

He said he was “somewhat disappointed” with the response he got at a trade fair in Wellington it had resulted “in many inquiries, but few’ sales.”

in Christchurch he hoped to complete sales in his capacity not only as a member of the trade mission but as tn tnaging director of Safety Glass, which markets laminated glass from Manila. Th« visit by the Philippines exporters was part of B move by New Zealand to firm trading with the Philippines in the context of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (A.S.E.A.N.) relationship. The other countries involved are Indonesia. .Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand.

Last year the five nations Imported New Zealand goods, especially milk pow-

der, to the value of $149.6 million, while in the same period New Zealand imported $98.5 million in goods. The main imports from the A.S.E.A.N. countries are coffee, desiccated coconut, hardwoods, clay construction materials, clothing, and textile fabrics.

Trade between the Philippines and New Zealand, according to the Department of Trade and Industry, has doubled since 1974 and present trends are $l2 to $1 in New Zealand’s favour.