TRADE WITH JAPAN

Taranaki Daily News, 22 December 1930, Page 11

TRADE WITH JAPAN

GROWING OPPORTUNITIES. '

WOOL AND BUTTER MARKETS.

The Consul-General of Japan for. Australia and New Zealand, Mr. Kojiro Inoue, Whose headquarters are in Sydney, arrived at Auckland by the Ulimaroa. He is proceeding to Wellington to pay his respects to the • Government. Mr. Inoue, who received his appointment a year ago, stated that he had been unable to visit the Dominion earlier owing to pressure of business in the Commonwealth. He hoped his visit would do something to . stimulate trade activities between New Zealand and Japan and cement still further the existing bonds of, friendship between the two countries. “New Zealand should be interested in the rapidity with which our Standards of living are changing in Japan,” said Mr. Inoue. “There is an increasing demand, for for European clothes and that means the importation of increasing quantities of New Zealand wool. Already 70 per cent, of our imports. from New Zealand consist:Of wool. Our people are regularly adopting European | clothes for their work, although I know that when they go back to their homes in the evening they usually change back into the kimono. However, everything is pointing to an increasingly large consumption of wool. f You must also remember the Chinese market. The Chinese people have certaim ’ ly not used much wool so far, but the climate, which in' parts is very cold” in winter, lends itself to a fashion in European clothes and, the habits of the people are bound to change bit by bit.” Speaking of Japan’s importations of New Zealand butter, Mr,-Inoue said that statistics showed that after the signing of the trade agreement between the Do--, •minion and Japan two years ago butter, imports had trebled. New Zealand had received benefit of a reduction in the import duty. “There is a great potential market for New Zealand butter in Japan,” he said. “It all depends on how •tastes change in the country districts, which, have not become Europeanised, ■to the same extent as the’ cities and tpwns. Once the rural centres go the •way of the cities there will be a wonderful market for your. butter.” ; Referring to Japan’s exports, Mr. 'lnoue said , that 60 per. cent. of the ex--1 ports to New Zealand consisted of silk 'and he was pleased to know that that 'textile was being more widely used for ■articles of attire in the Dominion than ■ever before. Other useful exports that New Zealand accepted were cotton textiles, timber, porcelain and fancy goods. ‘‘lt all amounts to this,” he added,-“that our two countries are exchanging wool and silk and .both are tied , very tightly 'to these two strings of trade.” Mr. Inoue - proposes to visit Christchurch apd Dunedin on the conclusion 'of his Wellington mission and will reVisit Auckland before returning to SydW- . . ? ' I :