TRADE WITH CANADA.

Otago Witness, Issue 3867, 24 April 1928, Page 34

TRADE WITH CANADA.

APPOINTMENT OF COMMISSIONER URGED.

AUCKLAND, April 19. A suggestion that the time had come for appointing a New Zealand Trade Commissioner in Canada was made to tlm Prime Minister last July by the Auckland Chamber of Commerce. Mr Coates replied that the proposal had been under consideration for some time, and he was awaiting further developments. At to-day’s meeting of the council of the chamber the President (Mr H. T. Merritt) reported that he had written to Mr Coates asking if further developments ha< taken place, but so far no reply had come to hand. To show what reason there was for appointing a trade commissioner, Mr Merritt mentioned that in 1909. the year prUr to appointment of a Canadian Trade Commissioner in New Zealand, the imports from Canada were £198.000, and exports £lBl,OOO. In the following year the appointment was made. Although, the New Zealand market iepresented to Canada only about one-ninth of what the Canadian market representing to New Zealand subsequent figures showed that trade from Canada to New Zealand had increased much more rapidly than trade in the- reverse direction. Compared with imports of £198,000 and exports ■of £lBl.OOO in 1909 the totals last year were £2,719,000 'and £1,667,000 respectively, and the averages " >r the three years 1925 to 1927 were respectively .£3,352,000 and £984,000. Considering that Canada hal deemed it worth while to appoint a commissioner when she was selling New Zealand only £198,000 worth of goods yearly it seemed absorb to suggest that New Zealand should not reciprocate when het exports to Canada had reached £1,667,000 last year.