TRADE WITH INDIA

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 18920, 23 January 1936, Page 14

TRADE WITH INDIA

NEED FOR MAINTENANCE STATEMENT'BY MINISTER SAFEGUARDING INTERESTS An assurance that the Government, fully realised the necessity to maintain and, if possible, to.increase, NewZealand's' trade with India, arid other countries of the East, and a .promise that' every effort would be made to that end,'were contained in a letter from the Minister of Industry and Commerce, the Hon. 'D. G. Sullivan, received by the secretary of the Aijcltland Chamber of Commerce, Dr E. P. Neale. The effects of any agreement that might be made by Australia with India would be closely watched, the Minister stated, and every endeavour would toe made to safeguard New Zealand exporting interests.

The letter was in reply to a communication from the chamber stating it was advised that the duties levied on New Zealand products entering India were not as favorable as those on similar products of the United Kingdom and other parts of the Empire, The chamber also understood that it was the Australian Government's intention to send a trade delegation to India with a view to enlarging the trade between the two countries, and possibly, as the result, a trade treaty might be negotiated. Mr Sullivan said the customs tariff of British India consisted of a standard rate of duty which was the ordinary rate, and a preferential rate, which applied to certain specified articles 'that were- the produce or manufacture of the United Kingdom or of a British colony. The words "British colony" apparently included' the Crown colonies only, and not the Dominions, so that the latter came under the ordinary or standard tariff. Consequently, New Zealand was at present in no less favorable a .position than" Australia or. Canada, or any other British Dominion. The Australian delegation referred to actually left Perth on October 21 last and would -be due to return very shortly, said Mr Sullivan. Arrangements' had been made for. copies of its report to be furnished to his department' as soon as they were available.

Dr Neale, in commenting on the statement, said that New Zealand had freely granted to India, along .with other British Dominions, substantially the same concessions as she had granted to the United Kingdom. New Zealand's tariff concessions were greater than those offered by arty other British Dominion, as there was bo other part of the Empire that accorded such a preferential margin to British goods as compared with foreign goods as did this country. It was unfortunate, said Dr Neale, that more practical recognition of New Zealand's practical loyalty to the sentiment in favor of Empire trade was not given by some of the other units Qf the Empire.