STEEL IMPORTS

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 129, 2 June 1937, Page 11

STEEL IMPORTS

4 AUSTRALIA'S ADVANTAGE

A SHEFFIELD INTERVIEW '

(From "The Post's" Representative.) LONDON, May 5.

Difficulties of Sheffield makers of steel, silver, and electro-plate ware in trading with New Zealand were dismissed by Mr. W. B. Brittain (Auck- . md) when he returned to Sheffield after an absence of fourteen years in New Zealand. Mr. Brittain is the brother of Sir Harry Brittain. He was formerly with his father's firm, William Hall, Ltd., manufacturers of steel and files. After this firm was taken over by Sanderson Bros, and Newbould, Ltd., he joined them as commercial director. He is now their Eastern director, holds directorships of several firms in Australia and New Zealand, and represents there a number of Sheffield companies. In an interview with the "Sheffield Telegraph," Mr. Brittain is reported to have said: "British industries, generally, are suffering through the development of secondary industries in Australia. Australia has modern factories for the production of practically everything that she requires and is increasing her exports to New Zealand enormously. In order to neutralise Australia's 25 per cent, exchange advantage, the Hon. W. Nash, the Finance Minister, who was in Sheffield a fewi months ago, hopes to introduce a scheme of bilateral trading to balance the trade between New Zealand, Australia, Canada, and this country. At present New Zealand is accumulating an annual deficit on its trade with Australia, and the New Zealind Government wishes to remedy this by giving this country a greater share of imports in exchange for a free market for her primary products, such as dairy produce and wool. "Practically all the steel used in New Zealand—mild steel, structural steel, and the special quality ■ steels of the type in which Sheffield is particularly interested— comes from Australia. Sheffield manufacturers cannot compete with Australian steel because at present they have this 25 per cent, exchange disadvantage plus the cost of freight and other charges. These have combined to put Sheffield out of the steel market. . "There is a certain amount or business being done, but it is mighty little," said Mr. Brittain. "One or two of the large corporations are, sufficiently patriotic in their views to give English firms orders irrespective of price. Silver and electro-plate from Sheffield are similarly affected, and five or six up-to-date factories in Australia are getting a large, proportion of the New Zealand business."