WORLD TRADE

Greymouth Evening Star, 29 July 1946, Page 3

WORLD TRADE

SUPPORT FOR PRIVATE CHANNELS

UNITED STATES ATTITUDE (P.A.) WELLINGTON, July 27. A statement issued by the Department of State in Washington, in May, setting out the attitude of the United States Government towards the termination of foreign purchasing missions, has been sent to its representatives in New Zealand by. the head of a large business enterprise.

The statement says that the representatives of Governments having purchasing agencies in the United States were informed, by the State Department that the United States, while recognising the valuable services performed by these missions during the war emergency, nevertheless believed that they should be terminated by the end of the transition period. For this reason conversations were held with the Governments of Australia, Belgium, China, France, Greece, India, Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, the Union of South Africa, 'the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, and the United Kingdom. It was explained to these representatives that the policy of the United States Government was to favour the use of private commercial channels in international trade. Although it was recognised that during the transition period the continuance of Government participation in trade might be required to bring about prompt reconversion of the economies of world stability prices and equitable distribution .of available supplies, it was considered that such State trading agencies should conduct trade in accordance with the usual commercial considerations.

The State Department took the view that.the mission should limit purchases to those of commodities necessary to meet essential civilian requirements, for relief and rehabilitation through the normal trade channels to the maximum extent possible, and that, as the transition period drew to a close' and the emergency need ceased, missions should be terminated. There was a general concurrence with this policy, and most missions expected before the end of the year that they would be completely disbanded.