OPPORTUNITIES FOR TRADE.

Press, Volume LV, Issue 16415, 8 January 1919, Page 8

OPPORTUNITIES FOR TRADE.

NEW ZEALAND PRODUCTS IN FRANCE. Since the war broke out, the French people have organised at Lyons a gigan-' tic fair, which it is hoped will become a rival, if* not supplant, the famous J ! r ' for long, prior to iyi4, had been the leading bazaar- for bringing undor the notice of buyers many- of the world's commodities Next March the Lyons fair will be truly a world one, and M. Marcel Matthieu, the commercial representative on the French Mission, in an interview he accorded a "Press" reporter yesterday, strongly urged New Zealand to be represented with her goods upon that occasion. M, Matthieu is a Lyons silk manufacturer. Discussing trade relationships between New Zealand and France with the pressman, M. Matthieu said the French peiople wanted to catch some of the trade with this country which the Germans held before the war. He considered the trade between New Zealand and France could be increased if the French had agents in Now Zealand. By that he did not mean cutting out the business which they used to do through the London branches of New Zealand houses, but they thought both countries could work together, that was to say, by the French showing their samples here to the buyers, the orders being confirmed by the London houses. And New Zealand could appoint some agents in France to show some of her goods in that country and sell them, i For instance, a« lot of this country's trade in tallow had been through German agents, but several of the French manufacturers had asked him and his confreres to ascertain where they" could find tallow, and said they would bo pleased to be visited by agents of tallow producing countries. Flax was another article which the French would buy. He thought it would be a very food thing for New Zealand to exibit samples of her products in Franco, especially at the Lyons Fair, which was held every year at t7ie beginning of March. As the result of the visit of the Mission to Australia, the Federal Government had decided to exhibit Australian goods at that Fair this year, and he thought it would be a very good thing for New Zealand to do liktewise, bocause at this Fair not only all the manufacturers and all the buyers of France would be present, but buyers wore expected from the world over. This Fair had been startod after the outbreak of war. in order to supplant the Leipsis: Fair in Germany. M. Matthieu said the people of France wanted the people of New Zealand to help them in reconstructing their trade, which had been stopped by the war. Any buyer asking for French goods should»not only ask for goods advertised as Paris fashions or French taste, but for goods which had been made elsewhere in France. With reference to the so-called French goods advertised as being made in France, the French people would take some strong steps after the war.