Texans see market for N.Z. products

Press, 6 October 1980, Page 10

Texans see market for N.Z. products

New Zealand’s raw material products would find a readv market in the United States Gulf states, according >o two Texan businessmen visiting Christchurch to promote reciprocal trade. New Zealand, with its wealth of resource products, was in an ideal position to corner a small market and develop it, said the vice-president of

the Houston Chamber of Commerce, Mr Leonard Patillo. Mr Patillo and the chamber’s director of economic development. Mr J. L. Taylor, were in New Zealand this week to talk to manufacturers and exporters. They addressed about 100 South Island manufacturers in a seminar at tlie Christchurch Town Hall on Tuesday evening.

The Shipping Corporation, Air New Zealand, and the Export Institute of New Zealand backed their visit. The United States Gulf states had a big demand for resource-based products such as building mat-

erials, newsprint, fibre board, timber, furniture, carpets, and seafoods, Mr Patillo said.

Houston and the Gulf states were a good test market for timber products because of the high home-building rate.

“'Our people are looking for new sources of timber and building materials. They are importing expensive raw timber from Canada and quality furniture from Sweden. “New Zealand has the equal of these products and we want to encourage exporters to take on a small corner of the market and develop it as they increase their production capacity.” said Mr Patillo. Until recently there had not been a direct shipping service between Canterbury and the United States Gulf, so that serving this market had been hampered by expensive transhipment. The introduction of direct shipping services between Lyttelton and New Orleans and Houston, now gave Canterbury manufacturers direct access to those markets. Total trade between the Gulf states and New Zealand was already about $5O million- this year, and in the last five years New Zealand had increased its share 500 per cent, Mr Patillo said.

“The trade promotion was intended to act as a catalyst for further development of these markets,” he said. Joint-venture energy projects also were a possible area for co-operation. Cities such as Houston with its 30 big engineering firms could seek New Zealand technical expertise in energy projects. Many of these firms were switching their focus from the Middle East to projects throughout the Pacific basin, Mr Patillo said. Restrictions oh the

numbers of Americans permitted to work outside the United States could mean that New Zealand expertise in engineering design and construction would be sought or some energy projects.

The vice-president of the Canterbury division of the New Zealand Export Institute, Mr G. D. Kemp, said that 21 Christchurch

companies had shown interest in joining a trade delegation to Houston about April, 19S1. The proposed trade mission was still only tentative. Much ground-work still had to be done before it could be confirmed. The companies interested included building and light-engineering firms, timber companies, and specialist food manufacturers.

A trade delegation to the Gulf states would have the wholehearted support of the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce, the Canterbury Manufacturers’ Association, and the Canterbury division of the Export Institute.