AUSTRALIA’S IMPORTS

Evening Star, Issue 22347, 25 May 1936, Page 9

AUSTRALIA’S IMPORTS

EFFECTS DF NEW TARIFF GENERAL SATISFACTION EXPRESSED Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright SYDNEY, May 23. Apart from woolgrowcrs, who fear that Japan may be irritated and may even seek reprisals, the announcement of Australia's new tariff has caused general satisfaction. The motor trade of the Commonwealth is reported to have received its biggest surprise for many years, while the far-reaching readjustments of trade with exporting countries are expected to begin almost immediately. A substantial increase in employment in most of the protected industries is forecast.

Importations of United States and Canadian chassis are to be restricted to 50,000 per year. There are no restrictions on Japanese rayon, on which the rates of duty are slightly increased, but large Australian purchases are likely to be diverted to Japan at the expense of the United States.

Trade in fashion goods from America, except as samples, will, it is expected, be diverted to France, which is a good customer of the country. The United States will lose almost its entire Australian trade in refrigeration plant, toilet jn-eparations, machinery, boots and shoes, paper, and other manufactured products.

APPROVAL IN BRITAIN MINIMISING OTTAWA PROBLEMS. LONDON, May 23. Political quarters are favourably impressed with the Australian tariff changes, especially as they are made unconditionally. Lest foreign countries adversely affected should associate the revision with joint Anglo-Australian action, it is emphasised at Whitehall that no preliminary sounding was taken there. The changes are expected to minimise the problem of revising the Ottawa Agreement, and are approved on the grounds that such decisions are better made individually than being thrashed out on a large scale at conferences. EMPIRE PRODUCTS ADVICE FOR BRITAIN. LONDON, May 23. The ‘ Daily Mail ’ says that Australia’s action makes it more than ever a matter of honour and self-interest that Britain should reply by introducing a straight tariff with a thoroughly effective preference for Empire products.

“ ANTI-JAPANESE MEASURE "

PRESS CRITICISM FROM TOKIO

TOKIO, May 23,

The Press features Canberra’s “ antiJapanese measure ” headlining it as an opening shot in a trade war.

The Press also comments on the wreck of treaty negotiations, and reports that Mr Brennan, South African Trade Commissioner, is touring Western Japan actively canvassing the Osaka business houses and the Nagoya woollen mills for wool and other South African goods.

SILK AHD RAYON CONTROL OF EXPORTS. TOKIO, May 22. The Ministry of Commerce and Industry has ordered the silk and rayon and textile exporters’ association strictly to control exports to Australia and other specified countries.

SATISFACTION IN LANCASHIRE (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, May 23. (Received May 25, at noon.) Great satisfaction ik expressed in Lancashire with the Government’s announcement, made in the Australian House of Representatives yesterday, of the introduction of new duties and an import licensing system framed to divert a large portion of Australian, buying from countries which at present. draw 1 little from Australia to those which buy a great deal, and especially the United Kingdom, which is her best customer. The revision of the cotton duties is expected to increase the imports from Lancashire of textiles, now bought from Japan, by something like £1,000,000 more annually. The president of the Manchester Chamber of Commerce says the changes represent a real effort by the Australian Government to secure a distinction of the textile trade as between Britain and Japan. British cotton exports to Australia fell from 137,000,000 to 104,000,000 yards, while the Japanese exports rose from 28,000,000 to 50,000,000 yards. British export of rayon goods to Australia remained steady at about 10.000. yards, while Japanese exports increased from 13,000,000 to 60.000. yards. For some time past the increasing balance in the Australian trade with the United States has befti causing great anxiety in the Commonwealth on account of the resulting embarrassment in the balancing of I payments. Efforts have been made to secure the co-opera-tion of the Washington Government, which has been urged to relieve the position by buying more from Australia or by formulating some triangular arrangement making it easier for Australia to pay for the huge quantities of goods she has been accustomed to buy from the United States. The failure of these efforts has caused the Commonwealth Government to take steps to reduce the volume of American imports. Even under the new system there will remain a heavy jinfavoujable baktoca.