TRADE POLICY

Hokitika Guardian, 11 September 1933, Page 7

TRADE POLICY

JAPAN DESIRES AGREEMENTS. PRESSURE ON DOMINIONS. LONDON, September 1. That Japan is anxious to negotiate qtommerciajli agreements with the Dominions, and that recent Tokio utterances implying a threat against Empire trade are probably designed to exert pressure on the Dominions, i. s the view held in well-informed circles here. The Sun understands that Jap \n particularly desires a trade treaty with Australia, and the Japanese indus trialists’ talk of using non-Australian wood seems to be a lever to induce Australian wooigrower? to support any move foir a trade agreement. The threat to rise 'South American wool is not taken seriously because, .it is said, South American c-unot- replace Australian any mroe than Japan can g)«\v woo] successfully in 'Manchuria. It- is stated that the Simla textile conference between England, India and Japan will negotiate aji Indo-Japane.se agreement; The discussions will be limited to the Indian market and those British .colonies -in which India is concerned. The wider, question of Japanese competition in the Dominions and elsewhere is reserved for a London conference.

Meanwhile, the competition of the Far 'East with the Western world is illustrated in a. statement prepared by .'Mr Otto Bankwitz, a Polish cotton mil] director, which the Prague Cotton Congress urges should be studied by -he whole world. The survey declares that the Japanese end Chinese cotton industry *an work on even a lower basis than the 1929 level, and that Europe n industry is .powerless in the face of the double-shift working of cheap labour.