Few packing changes?

Press, 13 May 1981, Page 10

Few packing changes?

PA Wellington The over-all development plan approved for the packing industry by the Government, after an investigation into the industry by the Industries Development Commission, was “unlikely to induce significant changes,” said the Minister of Trade and Industry (Mr AdamsSchneider).

The Government had accepted guidelines designed to identify and encourage packing schemes which could be competitive internationally and which could make a satisfactory contribution to the economy, or had the potential to do so, Mr Adams-Schneider said.

One of the important aspects of the plan was provision for relief of Cost disadvantages by issuing import licences for packing materials.

“Licences will be issued if it can be shown that domestic, packing materials are in excess of 20 per cent above the duty paid into store price of like imports. “Suppliers of locally produced packaging materials will also be given the opportunity to reduce prices through the issue of cost containment licences for the inputs. “In all cases it will be essential that the effect of these cost: containment

measures be reflected in the volume of the industry’s exports or the price at which it services the domestic market.”

Mr Adams-Schneider said the aim of the plan was to give the same treatment to packed goods as that applied to similar goods in . bulk, unless a differential was justified. ' ' The Government; had agreed with the commission, be said, that differentials should be tested by means of import licensing tendering. Tendering results would be monitored and any.new tariffs would be set rafter an evaluation of all - available information. F