The Timaru Herald FRIDAY, DECEMBER, 1, 1933. JAPAN’S TRADE PUSH.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXVII, Issue 19661, 1 December 1933, Page 8

The Timaru Herald FRIDAY, DECEMBER, 1, 1933. JAPAN’S TRADE PUSH.

From all parts of the world come reports of the devastating effect of Japanese trade competition. At the moment an influential trade delegation organised by the Japanese Exporters’ Federation, is on its way to South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. The delegation is thoroughly representative and is fully armed with samples of Japanese products and propaganda. It is expected to visit the Union of South Africa in May. The delegation will endeavour to push the sales of a very wide range of manufactures, and will try to find new sources of raw materials which Japan has hitherto bought in markets where her own sales are hampered by Customs and other regulations. Exports from Japan to Egypt, the Union, East Africa, and other colonies were 63 million yen in the first half of this year; Japan’s imports from those countries were less than four million yen in the same period. The devastating effect of Japanese competition on many industries is now being realised. Articles are being imported at prices barely sufficien to cover the cost of raw materials, it is stated, a condition only made possible by child labour and low wages for adults. Quite a number of important industries are being ousted from their own home market by this competition, and various Governments are being urged to take action to eliminate from the market all goods produced in countries with a low standard of living, and under economic conditions inferior to the marketing countries. It is interesting to mention that Japanese financial, commercial, and industrial interests are regarding the whole world as their markets, regardless of tariff barriers and trade agreements. Some idea of the increase in Japanese world trade and the favourable balance maintained by thrusting Nippon can be gathered from the following list of comparative figures from the latest Japanese official returns showing the trade with Africa (in millions of yen): Exports from Japan,

How is it possible, the critics are asking, for Eastern manufacturers to produce such a variety of articles, ship them thousands of miles and sell them in markets at prices which shatter all competition. The answer is given in the relatively low standard of living in Japan. But the push goes forward. Trade returns for the current year show that Japanese exports to Britain, especially knitted goods, potteries, brushes, hides and skins, aluminium and canned and bottled comestibles, have increased broadly 30 to 40 per cent, as compared with 1932. It is stated that Japanese electric lamps of under 20 volts are being sold in England at sd. The Japanese output of rubber boots and shoes in 1931 was 130,000 pairs, while to-day they totalled 34,000,000. Sir T. M. Ainscough (Senior Trade Commissioner in India and Ceylon) in a recent review of world trade, stated that Japanes shipments to India increased nearly' 50 per cent, last year compared with 1931, there being most striking advances in cotton and rayon silk comprising threequarters of the shipments of Japanese goods of ever-widening range “sold at prices which both Indian and European industries are quite unable to compete.” It is not surprising that the representative speakers in the House of Commons have felt compelled to say that the Western world is becoming alarmed because the standard of the life of the people is being threatened by intense competition from the Orient. Nevertheless, unpleasant facts must be faced, for there is something in the statement of Sir Herbert Samuel, who compared the efficient organisation of Japanese industrial activity and the loose mass of unorganised entities representing British industry. “The only way,” as Sir Herbert pointed out to tiie House of Commons, “to recover international trade is by concentration on the reduction of costs, but Japan’s subsidies and currency restrictions could be described as illegitimate, and her competition must be counteracted.”

to 1930 1931 First 6 months of 1932 1933 Egypt 29 23 42 27 Uniof of S.A. .. 14 19 16 12 East Africa 10 11 16 12 Other Colonies 3 6 12 12 Total exports to — — — _ Africa .. .. 57 59 86 63 Imports Into , Japan. from 1930 1931 First 6 months of 1932 1933 Egypt 16 14 20 1.3 Union of S.A. .. 1.6 1.3 2.6 0.3 East Africa 4.4 2.2 3.4 2.0 Other Colonies 1.6 1.0 1.6 0.2 Total imports — — — — from Africa . 24 18 27 3.9