Footwear industry keen to increase trade

Press, 3 October 1979, Page 20

Footwear industry keen to increase trade

j | PA Timaru J The New Zealand Foat- ' I wear Federation wants a J new agreement with Australia on quotas to apply each’ jway across the Tasman from HJuiy 1 next year. This was: agreed at the annual conference of the Federation. Commenting on the reso- . lution, the president (Mr B. Marler) said the footwear in- 1 dustry is totally committed to the expansion of trade across the Tasman. “We have developed very close ties with our Austra- ■ Ilian counterparts, and our! conference was attended and addressed by the president : of the Australian Footwear , Manufacturers federal .execu-: ■ tive, Mr Barry Counsel.

“The Australians, and ourselves want better access to: 'each other's markets,’’ he i said. “The long-term situation is ■ complicated by the current; I round of discussions at a Apolitical level about the futjure of the trans-Tasman 'trading relationship, and the fact that in Australia the footwear industry has been 'subjected to a major examination by the Industries Assistance Commission. In New Zealand, the Government is about to put our industry under the microscope by way of an industry study,” said Mr Marler. “In the spirit of co-oper-, : ation, the Australians have offered to provide us with information about the study

jof their industry by the ■ assistance commission, -which will undoubtedly be I useful to us as we proceed {through the study by the -Department of Trade and Industry of our industry,” he said. “In the meantime it was agreed that a new arrangement on quotas across the Tasman must, be settled within the next few months, because the existing agreement expires at the end of next June,” he said. Quotas on exports of footwear were introduced to Australia. two years ago. New Zealand is able to export 150,000 pairs to Australia in exchange for 50,000 pairs of Australian shoes into New Zealand.