Agreement on furniture

Press, 28 May 1984, Page 9

Agreement on furniture

The New Zealand Manufacturers Federation signed an agreement with the Australian Council of Furniture Manufacturers, on Friday designed to remove tariffs on furniture between Australia and New Zealand in three years. The president of the federation, Mr D. B. Robinson, said that New Zealand’s furniture manufacturers have been disadvantaged in the now superseded schedule “B” furniture arrangement, because furniture components only were free of duty into Australia, while other items of furniture, such as knocked down and built up furniture faced a 15 per cent tariff. “Now,” said Mr Robinson, "manufacturers will be able to plan the export of a wider range of furniture into Australia, and face a reduction in ariff before the tariff phases out completely in 1987. The first reduction in tariffs will occur on July 1, 1985. The importance of the industry’s trade with Aus-

tralia, is shown by the substantial increase in exports to Australia.” Exports under the present arrangements are up 46 per cent in the eight months to February, 1984, compared with the corresponding period last year.