BRITAIN’S WOOL EXPORTS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26027, 15 December 1945, Page 4

BRITAIN’S WOOL EXPORTS

EXTENDED FACILITIES AGITATION IN BRADFORD j f (N.Z.P.A. Special Correspondent) LONDON, Dec. 12. There is considerable agitation in, wool circles at Bradford for extended facilities for the export of wool from Britain. Questions are being asked in Parliament about the need for increased wool yarn exports. While it can be pointed out that processed wool exports require much labour, and that* the available production must be spread over all the fields of requirement while the output of the mills falls under total requirements the trade suggests that this argument does not apply to bale wool exports. Traders emphasie that pre-war Britain was the world’s second largest distributor of wool, her exports and re-exports reaching a total second only to those of Australia. This vast trade has been completely sacrificed throughout the war, as it would have been follv to bring wool here from the other side of the world to re-export it in war-time; and in any case, most British customer countries were then overrun by the enemy. To-day it is contended that Continental Europe is looking to Britain for supplies for immediate use, while planning long-dated programmes of direct importation from the dominion sources of supply. The Bradford trade argues that It should be no longer necessary for Britain to maintain internal wool stocks at the level required .for war-time emergency reserves, and that these should be heavily drawn upon to help to rehabilitate Britain’s position as a wool spot market for Europe. True, certain weights of dominion wool lately have been made available for export from Britain, but the official procedure is stated to be unduly cumbersome, as each separate transaction has to be officially approved and documented, and other regulations must be followed which, it is contended, are an impediment • to trade.

Individual firms are not yet allowed to hold stocks from which to export, but must make application for supplies against individual orders,- and it is complained that to take full advantage of present export oppotrunities calls for the holding of stocks by individual firms. There is a call for the removal of certain wool regulations of an internal administrative character which are said to have outlived their wartime usefulness.

It is understood that the British wool and textile industry has pledged itself to produce in the time required extra quantities of cloth for the demobilised men’s suits required by the authorities to keep pace with the re-cently-accelerated rate of demobilisation. This will delay, but not reduce, ultimate supplies for the home market, and may have a similar effect on a certain section of the civilian export 'trade.