WHISKY TRADE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24604, 12 May 1941, Page 6

WHISKY TRADE

; : IMPORT RESTRICTIONS PRICE INCREASE EXPECTED (PA) WELLINGTON, May 10. Mr P. Coyle, general secretary of the National Council of the Licensed Trade, in a statement regarding the whisky restrictions, points out that, by order of the British Government, distillation was restricted shortly after the outbreak of war to one-third of the pre-war output. This was inadequate to replace the demands for the export trade, so exporters were drawing upon stocks to a greater extent than they could replace them. He said the trade was playing an important part in maintaining Britain's export trade so that as large a part as possible of its imports should be paid for in the sale of British goods. Mr Coyle emphasised that New Zealand's restrictions on importation were on value and not on quantity, an important point to bear in mind in considering the effects on the import trade He explained that the increased prices of whisky would be passed on, but he did not think the already restricted imports would be further reduced in consequence of the increase in price. If that were so, it was only a matter of time when imports of whisky would be negligible owing to the ever-in-creasing costs. Incidentally, he mentioned that the reduced imports of whisky would be reflected in the Customs returns.