ORIGIN OF CARS

Evening Post, Volume CXVIII, Issue 89, 12 October 1934, Page 16

ORIGIN OF CARS

NEW ZEALAND TARIFF

A PUBLISHED COMPLAINT

(From "The Post's" Representative.) LONDON, September 5. Mr. G. H. Scott writes from Wellington to the "Financial Times," complaining that the amendments to the New Zealand tariff in regard to unassembled cars provide an- additional difficulty for the, United Kingdom manufacturers, Mr.- Scott" first points out how the' American car manufacturer, by sending a portion of his vehicles into Canada and, completing them in that, country, can then send his cars from Canada to New Zealand and legally label them British.- • . "Notwithstanding a cabled request to the Government," he continues, "that it should grant the United Kingdom manufacturers sufficient time to rearrange their policies (a year was asked for), the New Zealand Government has, from December 31 next, made a. change in.its tariff relating to unassembled vehicles which most of the United Kingdom manufacturers are quite unable to take advantage of because their annual agreements covering twelve months have just been renewed. Certain American interests, with an established assembly plant in New Zealand, will be able to take full and immediate advantage of the New Zealand Government's new proposals: "The difficulties surrounding United Kingdom motor-car manufacturers achieving any degree of.success in the New Zealand market were sufficiently difficult without having anything added. The extent to which? the American manufacturer is now able to take advantage of the position created for him is clearly indicated in the figures of car registrations in New Zealand during the last four'months. "The sales of the American via Canada cars are increasing at a very rapid rate, and the sales of cars from the United Kingdom are declining proportionately. A short period back sales' of United Kingdom cars equalled 83 per cent, of the total; the last figures show sales to be only 37J per cent."