IMPORT POLICY

Evening Post, Volume CXXX, Issue 99, 23 October 1940, Page 11

IMPORT POLICY

SUGGESTION DENIED

MAIN CONSIDERATIONS

MR. NASH COMMENTS

Commenting on. the further statement from the United Kingdom Manufacturers and New Zealand Representatives Association, published yester-: day, the Minister of Customs ..(the Hon. W. Nash) emphatically denied the suggestion that by confining imports to essential commodities New Zealand was failing, to render the fullest assistance to the United Kingdom in its successful prosecution of the war. "The opinions voiced on behalf of the association," said. Mr. Nash, "are definitely not in accord with the clear-ly-expressed views of the United Kingdom Government as conveyed to the New Zealand Government in the course of recent discussions. "The United Kingdom has expressly stated that, in its opinion, the common task in which all Empire countries must co-operate is that of limiting consumption to the essential minimum with.the object of freeing all the resources, including exchange resources, that can possibly be made available for war purposes. The necessity of limiting the demand for . imported non-essential goods has. been particularly stressed and the New Zealand Government has been specifically requested to assist to the maximum of its ability in the following ways:— "By confining direct dollar and nonsterling purchases to an absolute minimum. "By reducing the New Zealand demand on sterling countries for goods in the cost of which dollar materials are a large ingredient. "By restricting, the importation of non-essential goods from the .United Kingdom and other Empire countries, thereby limiting the demands on United Kingdom productive capacity which could be diverted to essential war production. BRITAIN'S ATTITUDE. "The fact that the war may have the effect of temporarily diminishing the volume of United Kingdom exports to New Zealand is fully appreciated "by the British Government, who have nevertheless intimated that since war requirements override all other considerations, they would not, on principle, object to this process. On the contrary we have been assured that the United Kingdom would not wish to press New Zealand to import goods which New Zealand can in the meantime do without.

'The New Zealand- Government, in turn, recognises that there are some United Kingdom industries which cannot be immediately adapted to war production—many of them working very largely for the export market — and that inasmuch as the strength of the British Commonwealth as a whole derives in large measure from the resources of the United Kingdom, it is New Zealand's duty to support these British export industries to the greatest possible extent.

"The Government's policy is to obtain from the United Kingdom as much as possible of our essential import requirements subject only to the United Kingdom's ability to supply and New..Zealand's ability to find the necessary sterling funds. This policy has been consistently followed ever since import restrictions were introduced and will continue to be followed in peace no less than in war.

"There are times when sectional interests may not entirely coincide with national interests' and, at such times, it is the interests of the nation which must prevail.

"In conclusion," said Mr. Nash, "I desire to affirm, first, that the United Kingdom Government has urged the New Zealand Government to confine its imports to essential commodities; second, that after provision has been made to meet our debt and other commitments authority has been given for the issue of import licences for the full value of the estimated sterling which will be available in 1941; and, third, the instructions in connection with the authorities for licensing contain a provision that any goods which it is essential to import must if available from that source be imported from the United Kingdom."