IMPORT QUOTAS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22258, 10 May 1934, Page 9

IMPORT QUOTAS

BRITAIN’S INTENTION EFFECT ON JAPANESE TRADE (United Press Association.) (By Electric Telegraph—Copyright.) TOKIO, May 8. Mr Fusajiro Abe, chairman of the Cotton Spinners’ Federation, said that Mr Runciman’s announced quotas would mainly affect Japanese trade in Hongkong, the Straits Settlements, and East Africa. “ There is no hurry about counter measures,” lie said. “We can well afford to wait while carefully studying the effects. I doubt whether the mcasuies will relieve Lancashire as expected.” COTTON AND RAYON GOODS. JAPANESE COMPETITION. (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, May S. In regard to the measures to deal with Japanese competition in the British home and colonial markets announced yesterday by Mr Walter Ruuciman, the extent to which Japanese competition has increased since the depreciation of jeu began at the end of 1931 is shown by the following figures;—ln the five years from 1927 to 1931, on which period the import quotas uow introduced are based, Japanese cotton piece goods entering the British and colonial markets, including East Africa, averaged 87,673,000 square yards a year. In 1932 the amount had increased to 205,020,000 square yards. The figure for last year is not yet available, but it is known to represent a further large increase. It is pointed out that although quotas in the colonial markets arc applied generally to all foreign imports of cotton and rayon goods, they will in practice react favourably to foreign countries, which have also suffered from Japanese competition. IMPORTS FROM DENMARK. (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, May 9. Replying to a question in the House of Commons regarding the AugloDanish trade agreement, which came into operation last June, Major Colville (Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Trade) said that in the nine mouths ended March 31, the British exports to Denmark amounted to £9,220,000, compared with £79,810,000 in the corresponding period of last year. The adveise trade .figure, he added, was still about £20,000,000, but it was decreasing. DOMINION NOT AFFECTED STATEMENT BY PRIME MINISTER. (Peb United Press Association.) , ’ WELLINGTON, May 9. Referring to Mr Runciman’a statement in the House of Commons regarding Japanese trade, the Prime Minister, Mr Forbes, said that the British Government had not made any request to New Zealand to reduce the Japanese importations of textiles. He pointed out that Mr Runcinmn had referred to the colonies and not the self-governing dominions, which were autonomous. Asked whether New Zealand, on its own initiative, might deal with Japanese competition, Mr Forbes said the question had been raised by witnesses before | the recent Tariff Commission, and would no doubt be referred to in its report so that the question of Japanese competition could be discussed when the report came before the House. TEXTILES FROM JAPAN NEW ZEALAND IMPORTATIONS. (Special to Daily Times.) WELLINGTON, May 9. The Minister of Customs (Mr J. G. Coates) had no comment to make on Mr Runciman’a statement except to confirm the Prime Minister’s announcement that the British Government had made no request for action on the part of the dominions. He pointed out that New Zealand was an autonomous State. A most-favoured-nation treaty between New Zealand and Japan has been in operation since August 9, 1928, and it provides that each country shall accord the other the same treatment in matters of commerce, Customs, and navigation as is, or may be, accorded to a most favoured foreign country. The treaty is to remain in force until the expiration of three months from the date on which either Government shall have renounced it. The signatories to the treaty are Mr Coates, who was Prime Minister at the time it was made, and Mr lyemasa Tokugawa, the Japanese Consul-General. Figures showing the imports of Japanese textiles into New Zealand since 1929 were supplied by the Customs Department as follows: — COTTON PIECE GOODS. Total Imports From Japan

It should be pointed out that (he above figures apply to value only. Records of the yardage of imports are not kept. During 1933 Great Britain imported cotton goods of a value of £472,318, but Japan was not mentioned as being one of the main exporters. Great Britain imported in 1933 pure silk piece goods to the value of £1,888,299, Japan contributing goods to the value of £519,886.

1929 £ .. 1,841,997 £ 26,198 1930 .. 1,734,653 24,343 1931 .. 1,073,157 15,800 21,907 1932 1,246,024 1933 .. 1,174.097 47,187 SILK AND ARTIFICIAL SILK PIECE 1929 GOODS. Total Imports £ ., 1,212,028 From Japan £ 377,624 1930 1,020,721 302,785 1931 .. ' 610,191 077,419 148,667 1932 209,211 1933 587,207 184,910