TRADE WITH AUSTRALIA

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21457, 3 April 1933, Page 8

TRADE WITH AUSTRALIA

The increase that took place in the trade between Australia and New Zealand last year, to which reference is made by the New Zealand Trade Commissioner in Australia, is a factor in favour of more satisfactory reciprocal arrangements being concluded by the Commonwealth delegation now in the Dominion. Taking the figures which include the value of re-exports the New Zealand exports in 1930 were £1,547,953. In the following year they fell to £1,169,055, but last year rose to £1,444,860. The total imports from Australia in the three years were £3,671,951, £2,655,603 and £•2,911,681. About two-thirds of the increase in the value of last year's imports was accounted for by the wheat purchase of 850,000 bushels which will not be repeated this year and to that extent, therefore, the Australian trade will diminish unless compensated for by expansion in other directions. Of more immediate interest/ however, is the rise of 20 per cent in the exports from Now Zealand to Australia in 1932. For the whole of this period the exchange was against New Zealand by about 13 per cent. Now it is on par, and trade should thereby be stimulated. But there will be no certainty of progressive improvement unless the trade agreement is freed from the constant menace of interference by politicians, who have been far too ready to respond to sectional agitations for prohibitions. The public is not prepared to accept all the reasons that have been advanced for prohibitory measures. There is a strong conviction that "bugs" have been turned into bugbears purely in aid of sectional interests. The harm that has been done to both countries by such vexatious interference with the normal flow of trade is evident on the figures and on both sides of the Tasman the hope of all people with vision is that the present discussions will result in an agreement that will have a reasonable degree of permanence.