THE TIMBER EXPORT TRADE

Hokitika Guardian, 30 March 1920, Page 2

THE TIMBER EXPORT TRADE

DUTY INCREASED IN AUSTRALIA. Advice has been received by private cable from Melbourne that the recently revised Commonwealth tariff, includes a substantial increase in the : mport duty on New Zealand timbers to Aus-

tralia. Hitherto the rate of white and red pine has been one shilling per. fOO feet. This rate of duty is increased now to 3/0 per 100-feet, with the exception of white pine to he used in Australia solely for the manufacture of butter boxes. Speaking to a local miller, a representative of this paper was informed that the new duty would tend to decrease the export of the quantity of timber from New Zealand hitherto. What would he considered largely waste product in the Dominion that is material suitable for boxing and casing, might not be profitable to export, with the added duty. In other respects there would be a tendency also to-diver! more timber to the Dominion markets which would create greater competition. The export trade mainly affects old established mills which were granted permits to export, because their business arrangements had been bound up for so long with the export trade. Probably by “passing-011” methods the

duty will not he such a bar to the trade as appears at first sight, there being such a demand for timber in Australia as elsewhere.