WITHDRAWAL OF TRADE RESTRICTIONS

Otago Witness, Issue 3384, 22 January 1919, Page 43

WITHDRAWAL OF TRADE RESTRICTIONS

OFFICIAL ADDRESS

Tho British Trade Commissioner in New Zealand writes from Wellington, under date January 13, to the secretary of the Dunedin Chamber of Commerce, as follows: "I have recently received cablegrams from the Department of Overseas Irade in London, which contained important information regarding the withdrawal of war restrictions on British manufactures and exports from the United Kingdom, notice of which you have probably seen in the press, The following is a resume of the cables received, and I should be glad if you would make this matter known to your members as widely as possible:—• "In many branches British manufacturers are already prepared to resume their normal activities; the removal''-of control of materials occurs daily. There are good prospects for export trade as far as tonnage permits, and except in the case of industries • which have been most gravely disorganised by war necessity it is expected that British manufacturers will be able to meet practically all demands shortly.. ' ' 'The control of prices is being maintained as far' as is necessary for stabilising the market, and no forecast of entire relaxation is at present possible. Market* are wanted, however, immediately, for materials produced in excess of requirements for purposes of war, including- aeroplanes, wooden goods, metal repetition work, sulphurio acid, etc. "Since the armistice has been signed many restrictions on commerce have been withdrawn, while in the case of restrietiona that remain licenses are being granted to a much greater extent than before. Other relaxations are continuously being made. While the pre-war scale of export cannot be regained Vt once, it is possible for a considerable amount of trade to be done by tho principal industries in the United Kingdom. Orders placed durng the war have now good prospect of execution and arrangements for new business should be made without delay. "It is announced that permits to manufacture and priority certificates are no longer necessary. This frees the engineering industry for commercial work. Raw materials of all the principal kinds are now freed from control. These may now be used for. the manufacture in the United Kingdom of goods which may then be exported in certain cases without license. This rule applies to aluminium, zino,. steel, and tin. "Certain factors will continue to retard delivery in the export trade, such as, shortage of labour until tho army can be demobilised, shortage of tonnage, etc., but the effect of these factors will diminish greatly in a few months. Every, effort is being made by all departments of State to assist the reconstruction of the British ex-! port trade, the importance of which is fully realised. v ;■' important articles, the export .of which was formerly prohibited to all coun- ! tries may ziow be sent to parts of the British Empire outside the United dom, such as:— Aluminium articles. Asbestos manufactures. s Belting (cotton) including belting imr pregnated with baJata or rubber. Bicycles, and bicyole tyres and parts. , Boots and shoes, except children's with Boles or uppers of leather, Brogms , and brushes (except tooth brushes). Copper manufactures, except wire, bars, plates, rods, sheets, strips, tubes . Galvanised sheets, oorrugated or flat. Glass for optical instruments. Handtools for agriculture.. Domestio holloware of iron* or eteel plate. Iron and steel rivets, nuts, and screw*. Wi y e cloth. Incandescent mantles and rings. Linoleum. Mangesite and magnesite bricks. Wire nails. Photographio materials Rubber manufactures, except surgical gloves. Steel (black). Small tools. '.:?. Wagons and. carts, and parts thereof. % Manufactures of wool and hair, not to include raw wool or yarns. Magnetos and parts. j-g Eta, etc. "Particulars of further relaxations will be published in the Board of Trade Journal each week, some of which you will notic© are Contained In the issue of November 21."