WOOL TEXTILES

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 78, Issue 7017, 9 February 1949, Page 3

WOOL TEXTILES

PRODUCTION IN JAPANINCREASE IN OUTPUT The production of woollen and worsted yarn and cloths in Japan during 1947 reached a total of 26,106,000 lbs and 20,676,000 square yards respectively. For the first six months of 1948, the production of woollen and worsted yarn was 11,424,000 lbs, and of woollen and worsted cloths 10,597,000 square yards. Stocks of wool in Japan at the end of June, 1948 amounted to 2,756,000 lbs. It is understood, reports the Indian office of the International Wool Secretariat, that under a plan announced by the Commissioner for the Restoration of the Woollen Industry in Tokyo, by 1950 the industry will have a working spindleage of 732,885, which is about 45% of its 1940 capacity of 1,628,554 spindles. Since the Japanese mills were permitted to enter into private trade negotiations there have been reports about the offering of Japanese wool textiles in India at less than current market prices. There is, however, no evidence as to the quantity involved or of the quality of the goods. Recently, replying to a question in the British Parliament, Mr Harold Wilson, president of the Board of Trade, said that he had been informed that in some cases Japanese cloths were being offered in British West Africa at lower prices than those of comparable United Kingdom goods, and that he was having enquiries made as to the reason for this difference. He added, in reply to a further question, that if unfair Japanese competition was to develop in overseas markets he would consider what steps were appropriate. He did not accept the suggestion that the recent Japanese Trade Agreement would necessarily result in such competition.