ECONOMIC TREATIES

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 74, 21 December 1937, Page 11

ECONOMIC TREATIES

Germany And Italy

GREATER MUTUAL TRADE By Telegraph.—Press. Assn.—Copyright. (Received December 20, 5.25 p.m.) London, December 20. The Italian Foreign Minister, Count Ciano, and the German Ambassador signed in Rome various Italian-German economic agreements. The Rome correspondent of “The Times” says the agreements provide for the application in 1938 of the existing barter arrangements enabling both countries to be independent of ordinary sources of imports. Italy, as a result, will purchase as much coal, iron and mechanical goods as possible from Germany, which will take as far as possible her fruit, vegetables, artificial fibres and agricultural prodtice from Italy. It is claimed that the operation of the agreements in 1937 resulted in a substantial increase in mutual trade. The Rome correspondent of the “Daily Telegraph” says the measures are intended to reduce the balance of trade in Germany’s favour, which was £6,000,000 for the first seven months of 1937 anfl has since been considerably increased.