TRADE WITH THE EAST

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22259, 11 May 1934, Page 10

TRADE WITH THE EAST

MEANS OF DEVELOPMENT DIRECT STEAMER ACCESS ESSENTIAL (Special to Daily Times.) AUCKLAND, May 10. The necessity for having direct access to the most important markets in the East before New Zealand could hope to extend the present export for her goods was stressed in a long report, to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce byihe committee of the exporters' section. The report stated that New Zealand's difficulty was that Australia, which exported substantially the same commodities as New Zealand, had direct contact with practically every important port in the East. Except in the case of Japan all New Zealand's exports to that part of the world would have to be transhipped at Sydney, Honolulu, or Vancouver; and, in tho case of shipments destined for most parts of India and Burma, further transhipment was necessary at Colombo. This resulted in our commodities having to be loaded with transport charges to Sydney or wherever transhipment waa effected, and, as the East was essentially a price market, New Zealand was out of the picture before she started unless she was prepared to accept the same price f.o.b Sydney as the Australians or was prepared to accept less for her goods to the extent of the transport charges to Sydney. There was still a small demand for quality goods in the East for which a premium was obtainable, but the great bulk of the business offering hinged on price. The suggestion had been made, the report proceeded, that some of the vessels which loaded here for the United Kingdom should go homewhards via Singapore, Colombo, and, Suez. This seemed the best suggestion ; which had been advanced because such an itinerary would include Java (say Sonrabaya and Batavia), Singapore, Ponang, Colombo (tranship here for Indian ports and Rangoon), Port Said (tranship for Eastern Mediterranean), a port in Italy, Marseilles, nnd on to London. In one hit it would give New Zealand direct access to large consuming markets. Provided the best types of passenger steamers were used such a service would be immenely popular with the travelling public. " This is l an important factor because each port called at would be visited continually by large, numbers of New Zoalauders advertising our goods," stated the report. "At present a large percentage of homeward-bound passengers proceed via Sydney and Suez, and a much larger proportion would travel by the route advocated because of its greater interest and also because no transhipment would be involved. In addition passengers would transfer at Singaport for China and Japan." The report was adopted, and it was decided to forward it to the Associated Chambers of Commerce.