RECIPROCAL TRADE TREATY

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18828, 1 October 1924, Page 9

RECIPROCAL TRADE TREATY

CANADA AND AUSTRALIA. (Received 10.5 p.m.) Reut-er. OTTAWA. Sept. 29. The full details of the trade treaty between Canada and Australia are not available here, but it is known that Canada gives Australia her full British preference. Canada does not receive the full Australian preference to the United Kingdom in return, but gets part of that list and some other concessions regarded as important to Canada. Parliamentary provision has already been made for giving, by Order-in-Cotmcil, special preference on Australian dried raisins and currants. THE AGREEMENT REVIEWED. POSITION OF' NEW ZEALAND. [BY TELEGRAPH.—SPECIAL REPORTER.] WELLINGTON. Tuesday. Reference to the reported preferential trade agreement ~ between Canada Australia was made in the House of Representatives this afternoon by Mr. E. A. Ransom (Pahiatua). at some length, Mr. Downic Stewart said the trade agreement was an attempt to improve the trade relations between Australia and Canada, which were not on as satisfactory a basis as the relations between New Zealand, and Canada. "Australia does not grant to other Dominions its British preference except in so far as a special treaty has been arranged," he said. "New Zealand, on the other hand, grants to Canada, and receives from her, the British preferential rates both ways. The result is that trade relations between New Zealand! and Canada have for years past been on. a much more satisfactory basis than those existing between Australia and Canada. This is shown by the exports from New Zealand to Canada as compared with the exports from Australia to Canada." On the other hasd, said the Minister, the exports from Canada to Australia weie much larger than from Canad,i to New Zealand, though perhaps not relatively larger to the popuilation. "I have every reason to believe that any concessions granted to Australia under the new trade agreement will automatically accrue for the benefit of New Zealand, though I am not able to ascer-, tain this officially without communicating with Canada," ha continued. '"It will be seen, therefore, that not only doea New Zealand enjoy a much mors favourable trade with Canada than does Australia, but any agreement which helps Australia will also, in all probability, help New Zealand."