Clothing industry criticised

Press, 17 December 1980, Page 13

Clothing industry criticised

NZPA Canberra The Australian Clothing Export Council has criticised its New Zealand counterpart over the issue of future Tasman trade in clothing. The council said that negotiations between the Australian Confederation of Apparel Manufacturers and New Zealand textile and garment manufacturers had faltered because of New Zealand’s insistence that they he given a bigger share of . the Australian market. C- The Australian industry ; had insisted on a one-for- * one basis for future TasVman trade agreements on ' the obvious grounds that this was more than, fair and equitable to New Zealand. ■■■: “Given the much small-

er size of the New Zealand industry, it was a concession by the Australians,” the council said in its latest newsletter. However, it asserted New Zealand was guilty of “Irish logic.” “This New Zealand industry stuck by its quite absurd contention that because it has about onequarter the size of Australia’s population, its apparel exports should be four times the trade in reverse. “Evidently Irish logic savs that smallness justifies the largest helping. It would be interesting to be a resident in a New Zealand boarding house,” the council said. The council said the Confederation of Apparel Manufacturers would now go to the Australian Gov-

ernment with a call to equalise duties for New Zealand imports. At present the New Zealand industry exported three times more apparel to Australia in value terms than the Australian industry returned to New Zealand.

It said the Government would be asked to increase Australian tariffs to match the higher duties imposed by the New Zealand Government. “Surely it is time for the New Zealand industry to come down to earth,” the council said.