TRANS-PACIFIC TRADE

Hokitika Guardian, 6 August 1929, Page 5

TRANS-PACIFIC TRADE

o7 7-•/ iff, CANADIAN MOVEMENT. DELEGATION ABROAD. VANCOUVER, June 26. Within the next-year. or so, trade delegations from Canada will visit Australia, New Zealand and the Far East in an endeavour to find new markets and extend existing ones in, the transpacific trade. TTie Federal Government has promised every assistance in this work, and Boards of Trade ifrom here to Halifax are co-operating. Tlie appointment of a Canadian Minister to Japan was largely with a view to facilitating and expanding commerce It is expected that a Minister will also he appointed to China when appearances of stable >government there become more definite. Canada’s trade in the Pacific is one of the outstanding features of the postwar period. During, last year, Canadian exports to Australia, New Zealand, China, and Japan increased by £3,150,000, or 22 per cent, over 1927; imports from the four countries increased £350,000, or 6 per cent.

Australia’s share of Canada’s trade fell off last year by £530,000; exports to Australia grew by £51,000. Canada increased her purchases from New Zealand by £710,000. Imports from China increased by £55,000, exports by £625,000.' Canada’s purchases from Japan by .£1,800,000.

With, a .view to increasing trade \vith the Orient, the Canadian Pacific have put on a new steamer, the Empress of Japan. The most cordial .relations exist between business men .of Canada and Japan,.and the latter, after developing a trade in .Canada’s basic commodities is now turning to tlie'/Dominion for the supply of an ever-widening variety of products. ■~. j . . Canadian exports to China have been growing at a more rapid rate than those to other countries, and this despite the political and financial disturbances in China.

'There lias a feeling in the past that, however much Canadians -would like to help Australia and New Zealand by purchasing their products, those two Dominions do not do much to help themselves.. Canada pays the salaries and offiefe expenses of a -dozen trade commissioners scattered throughout the United .States. Australia, till last month, had no trade representative in Canada. New,-Zealand, has had a renresentative in- Vancoviver tor twenty venrs,' hut none in the more populous centres of eastern Canada, where many 'if her exportable commodities, besides' butter could finer a ready market. There are no two countries in the world with which the. average'Canadian would prefer to be on better terms than Australia and New Zealand.