FROZEN PORK TRADE

Ellesmere Guardian, Volume LIII, Issue 12, 12 February 1932, Page 2

FROZEN PORK TRADE

EFFECT OF BRITISH TARIFF.

DOMINION BENEFIT EXPECTED

POSITION OF BACON

DIFFERENT

The opinion that the New Zealand frozen pork industry, rather than the bacon trade, would benefit as a result of the new British tariff on foreign imports, was expressed by Mr W. A. Phillips, chairman of the New Zealand Co-operative Pig Marketing Association.

"Owing to the fact that Denmark, our greatest competitor, sells bacon and hams through its own co-opera-tive wholesale concerns in England, it is unlikely that the new duties will be passed on to the English public in the form of increased prices," said Mr Phillips. "If this assumption is correct, in so far as imports from that country may influence the English market, we are not likely to feel any immediate benefit by way of increased prices for our exports of frozen bacon pigs.

"There is, however, a very large quantity of bacon of inferior quality imported from Poland, the Netherlands and other foreign countries by English commission houses. It remains to be seen what effect the new tariff will have upon this business. The ramifications of the bacon trade in England are so extensive and complicated that it is quite impossible at this juncture to forecast the ultimate effect of the duties upon this branch of the trade.

"The frozen pork trade is, however, quite a different matter, and it is in this direction that we are likely to feel a direct and immediate benefit. England at present, by reason of an embargo on imports from'other countries, is importing pork only from the Argentine, the United States and the Dominions. This means that unless the United States and the Argentine reduce their prices to meet the duty, we should obtain a better price for our product. Owing to the very low prices at present obtaining on the London market, New Zealand producers are grateful to Britain for this assistance, and, I feel sure, will respond to this friendly gesture by improving the quality of our products to conform to English requirements. Now that Britain has taken this initial step, if we and our sister Dominions can prove our ability to supply in quality and quantity her requirements, she may be encouraged later to afford us further protection. This is what we should strive for."