JAPANESE COOK

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXVI, 19 August 1933, Page 7

JAPANESE COOK

AUSTRALIAN IMPORTS INCREASE 50 PER CENT

CHRISTMAS TOY TRADE

ALARM FELT

(United Press Association—By Electrio Telegraph—Copyright)

CANBERRA, 18th August.

An increase of 50 per cent, in the value of importations from Japan is shown by comparison of the figures for the financial year just ended with those of 1931-32. The balance of trade between the Commonwealth and Japan, however, is still £5.000,000 in Australia’s favour. Most of the goods imported from Japan are competitive with British importations. SYDNEY, 18th August.

Australian manufacturers are apprehensive regarding the Christmas toy trade, as they realise that they have no chance of competing with Japanese landed prices. The president of the Chamber of Manufacturers, Mr 11. Gordon Bennett stated that if Japan were successful in her proposed drive to flood Australia with toys, Australian workmen in the toy industry would have a very lean Christmas.

The Minister of Trade and Customs, Mr White, stated tt Canberra that the Commonwealth Government was keeping a close watcli on tho threatened flood of Japanese toys, and if there was evidence to establish a prima facie case of dumping or threatened dumping, it would be dealt with quickly.

WOOL FOR JAPAN SOUTH AMERICAN INSTEAD OF AUSTRALIAN (Received 19th August, 9.10 a.m.) TO'KIO, 18th August. In consequence of the British Empire’s anti-Japanese trading movements Japanese industrialists are conferring with the Government, requesting shipping subsidies facilitating the importation of South American wool, replacing Australian. THE POSITION IN NEW ZEALAND

IMPORTERS CONCERNED “There lias been a fairly heavy epidemic of it here,” said Mr V. E. Hamilton, president of the Canterbury Importers’ Association, commenting on the cabled report that Japanese goods were flooding the British market (reports the “Press”). The competition . from Japan was far worse than that from Germany had ever been, he said. In fact, tho Japanese factory methods allowed jjoods to be produced so cheaply that‘ an impossible situation for the British manufacturer was arising. Tho Importers’ Association, he said, had made representations to the Prime Minister and the Minister for Customs in. May of this year, but so far nothing had been done. The department asked for instances of cheap Japanese goods, and some information was supplied. For instance, certain lines of sports goods, which would have cost 42 shillings a dozen to land from England, were quoted from Japaq rip 7 s ?d a dozen. 'Other sports articles which would cost 10s 6d each from England could be imported from Japan at 12s 6d a dozen. China goods for the breakfast table were quoted from Japan at 2s 2d a dozen against 8s a dozen for the British article.

AUSTRALIAN GOODS When the Australian exchange rate was raised and the New Zealand rate was normal, said Mr Hamilton, the Government immediately brought down anti-dumping duties on many lines to counteract the cheapening effect on goods from Australia. On the other hand nothing had been done to counteract the effect on goods from Japan, which was a foreign country. The maximum effect on Australian goods was approximately 14 per cent., whereas it was clear from the instances given to the department that the Japanese competition was of a very much more serious nature. Importers found it difficult to understand the procrastination of the Government in dealing with the Japanese competition, particularly in view of the unnecessary way it had acted towards Australian imports when the exchange rate caused a reduction in the price of Australian goods.

EXPORTS AND IMPORTS According to the New eZaland official year-book and the abstract of statistics the value of goods exported to and imported from Japan and Germany for 1931, 1932, and for the first five months of 1933, was as follows: —

It was mentioned recently that New Zealand’s chief export to Japan was wool, most of which would he exported at the beginning of the year. When the figures for the whole year were available it would probably be found that the imports had increased considerably more in the last seven months than, the exports.

Year. Country. Imports. Exports. £ £ 1931 ... Germany 408,195 309,847 1931 . ... Japan 298,307 267,899 1932 ... Germany 459,971 289.917 1932 ... Japan 434,636 236,799 *1933 ... Germany 139,471 296,308 *1933 ... Japan 163,102 228,168 *For five months.