DUMPING ALLEGED

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22422, 17 November 1934, Page 3

DUMPING ALLEGED

NEW ZEALAND BONELESS MEAT AN AUSTRALIAN ACCUSATION The statement that New Zealand is dumping boneless meat into Australia is made in a recent issue of Country Life, the official organ of the Graziers’ Association of jSTew South Wales. The journal declares that “ the stock owners of New South Wales are face to face with a new peril,” and states that the Sydney meat market is being glutted, not only with meat from Quensland and Victoria, and cheap low-grade pieces and meat sundries from outside the metropolitan area, but also with an avalanche of boneless meat from New Zealand. Between August 28 and September 15, the article continues, 43,1061 b of Veal pieces and 46,0611 b of pork pieces were unloaded on to the Sydney market, an operation that is described as “foisting the Dominion’s inferior meat on Australia.” The journal fears that this 'is only the beginning of a sparkling new trade for the Dominion. “ Dumping of any inferior meat on the Sydney market must undermine Homebush and fa,t stock prices generally.” Country Life insists that this new torrent of trouble shall be shut out from Australia quick and lively,” the article concludes.

Meat exports in Auckland, to whom the article was referred, did not treat it very seriously. They stated that some years ago there was a useful market in Australia for pork and beef pieces, but this bad dwindled. At present odd shipments were made when the market was favourable. but the duties imposed by the Commonwealth restricted trade except when high prices were ruling. Anything in the nature of exploiting the Commonwealth market was scarcely possible. One Auckland firm managed recently to find out outlet in Sydney for 13 tons of bobby-calf meat, which was held up because of the British embargo. This parcel amounted to 29.0001 b, so that it possibly has some bearing on the journal’s statement.