TRADE WITH EAST INDIES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22725, 11 May 1937, Page 10

TRADE WITH EAST INDIES

1 New Zealand will have to start 1 practically at zero in developing 1 export trade with the East Indies, but at last her business men are to be assisted by the provision through Dutch enterprise of a direct shipping service. The arrival at Auckland yesterday of the new motor-vessel Maetsuycker marked the inauguration of the new trading facility. She and the steamer van Rees will maintain a monthly connection between Auckland and Wellington, via Sydney, with Port Moresby, Sourabaya, Samarang, Batavia, Singapore.and Saigon, the last-named being the chief port of French Indo-China. Thus potentially large markets, based on small European populations and teeming millions of Asiatics, are being opened, on equal terms with Australia. The Commonwealth's annual sales in this trade area already amount to millions of pounds, whereas New Zealand's exports do not touch the £IOO,OOO mark. If the Dutch Indies alone be considered, the Dominion's sales lagt year to these rich islands supporting a population of 53,000,000 amounted to only £1894, whereas her imports were returned at £1,721,590. Transhipment at Sydney may have proved a handicap in the past, but the Dutch service has removed that disability. It remains for New Zealand enterprise to turn one-way into two-way trade. If Australia can sell about £3,000,000 worth of goods in the Dutch East Indies and Malaya combined, New Zealand should not rest content with exports totalling only £73,000. As well as the commercial aspect, there are political advantages to be reckoned in a closer association with the Dutch of the East Indies. British and Dutch are both established in isolated outposts in the Pacific far from their main bases in Europe, and have much to gain in strength and security from mutual interchange. That they are capable of working together in powerful amity has already been proved in the Union of South Africa.,