EXPORTS OF STEEL

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23617, 29 March 1940, Page 8

EXPORTS OF STEEL

BRITISH PROBLEMS SYSTEM OF PRIORITIES MANUFACTURERS' POSITION The difficulties faced by United Kingdom manufacturers in maintaining output for export purposes under war conditions are emphasised by a director of a large English engineering works in a letter received bv a New Zealand agent of t.lie company in Auckland. "The Government here is continually referring to its wish for all manufacturers to do their utmost to increase export trade," the letter states. "However. a rather ridiculous situation arises in the steel industry where the Government is purchasing almost the whole of the rolling mills' output, and when we do get orders for materials requiring steel plates for export the deliveries which the rolling mills are able to give are often very much extended. "This is partly due to the fact that the Government has instituted rather a weak arrangement of priorities, which calls for first preference being given to home trade national requireFor export orders it is necessary to obtain a Ministry of Supply licence, and this not infrequently takes some time and entails some difficulty to obtain." The letter mentions that considerable business is being done in supplying Holland with press work. The Dutch people were being forced by the contraband control to buy from Britain, but when orders were sent to the United Kingdom it took a long time to execute them, as production was already vastlv overloaded and the supplies of raw materials were not available. "It is a very difficult situation," it is added. "However, we believe that it will be overcome and easier conditions will shortly be restored. Our one and only object is to go on to victory and a lasting peace, and we all have to put up with lots of inconveniences and troubles, which we take in our stride."