TRADE WITH JAPAN

Evening Star, Issue 16194, 16 August 1916, Page 2

TRADE WITH JAPAN

[Special to the ‘ Sx.*a.’] ,i y* WELLINGTON, August. 16r . The prospects of improved trade between New Zealand and. Japan are discussed in an interesting way *by Mr S. Ukita, Japanese Trade Commissioner, who has spent the last few weeks travelling through the Dominion. Mr Ukita. told your correspondent that ho was very well pleased with the information he had been able to gather and the avenues of trade he believed he had discerned. He would go back prepared to advise Japanese merchants and manufacturers regarding the requirements of New Zealand, and hoped to'be able to remove some of the'difficulties that had hampered trade in the past. “Japan’s export trade' is .going /to increase very largely after the war,’’ said Mr Ukita. “Wo have set out to manufacture very many articles that previously came from Germany and Austria, and trade figures show that we are succeeding. Then there has been'a great expansion of Japanese manufacturing facilities owing to the demand for munitions for the Allies, and these facilities will be available for ordinary work in times of peace. Increased exports mean increased imports naturally, and both moan .enlarged transport services. All the Japanese shipyards are working their hardest at the present time. ■ Some of them have taken contracts for years to come owing to the demand of tho Japanese -companies for additional steamships. - Some of the vessels doubtless will be used for trade with New Zealand and Australia.” Japanese people, added Mr Ukita. would bo buyers of wool, hides, tallow, etc., on a large scale. They might also take dairy produce. To some extent that remained to be proved, but in any case Japap would buy goods from countries which took-her manufactures. The necessity f6r Securing return freights for steamers Was obvious. The extent of Japan’s exports 'of manufactured goods seemed 4 to be. unlimited.. Japan wasjat the beginning of industrial expansion, and manufacturers doubtless had much lo learn; but they had” proved their adaptability already, and he fhlt sure that a big trade between Japan and Australasia could bn -established with advantage to both sides. Reference to the question of quality led Mr Ukita to say something regarding Japan’s commercial ideals. He had been told, he said, that Japanese merchants did not maintain a sufficiently high code of commercial morality, and he realised the very great importance of this point. He would bring the matter under thenotice of the Japanese Government, but some of the complaints regarding the poor quality of eertajn Japanese goods arose from the effort of manufacturers to produce very cheaply, under the impression that buyers desired cheapness. He had not heard complaints on the score of price. British countries had taken a large qnan- : titv of very cheap goods from Germany and Austria in the past without much regard for quality. A point he Would stress was the desire of Japanese manufacturers to please buyers. Japan could produce goods of the class required, though her manufacturers ami Workers might need to gain experience in some direction.