TRADE WITH JAPAN

Hawera Star, Volume LIII, 2 November 1933, Page 5

TRADE WITH JAPAN

CLOSER RELATIONS URGED. MARKET FOR N.Z. PRODUCE, CHRISTCHURCH, Nov. I. That it would be in the interests of New Zealand to foster trade with Japan rather than to place restrictive duties on Japanese exports was an opinion expressed by -ur fc>. On;, moto, a representative of toe liiiuge suone Tyre -Manufacturing Company. Kurume,* Japan, one of the largest rubber firms in the country, m an interview. , , _ Mr Okamoto said that Japan, w-tfi its large population, was already an important market tor New Zeaiauu produce, and it would become nicreamgly important to the producers oi the Dominion, provided that the Japanese Government was not forced into the adoption of retaliatory tarihs. “I think there-is room for a ..Muskier able increase m New Zealand’., exports to- Japan,” said Air Okamoto. ‘‘Japan has a very big demand im wool, butter, cheese and flax. It u often forgotten by the European countries that the Japanese require ana use just as much wool as any other country. The climate is very smuiai to that of New Zealand, and theie are the same requirements there for wool len clothing and blankets. Moreovei there are very many factories in Japan that send wooden produces u. various parts -of v the world.” Mr Okamoto said that the ‘ouvees of Japan’s wool supplies were Australia, South. America, Africa, and London, as well as New Zealand. The buying now, however, was mainJi ii i Australia and New Zealand. He said that some 6000 tons of butter and cheese were consumed by Japan each year, and of this about 4000 tons came from Australia and New Zealand. Air Okamoto laughed when the reporter mentioned the various sensational statements that have been made latelv about Japan’s ambitions in the Pacific. He said that it was quite impossible that Japan could constitute a threat to any of the countries in the Pacific, let alone to those in the more remote parts of the ocean. “Tins talk about the pressure of population in Japan is very much exaggerated, he- said. ‘‘ln the. first place Japan is an industrial country, and provided she can find the markets for her produce can support- a large population. Although we have an unemployment problem, it is not really serious, and the. number of the workless appears to be decreasing steadily.” . . . The object of Japan’s activities in . Manchuria was the establishment of a stable government there, for churia. with its population of 3,000,000 presented a very desirable market for Japanese o-oods.. Settled political and eponomfo conditions, however, were essential to successful trade relations.