N.Z. PRODUCE

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 264, 1 July 1932, Page 6

N.Z. PRODUCE

POSSIBILITIES OF BIG TRADE WITH ITALY WELLINGTON, Wednesday. The possibility of estahlishing direct trading connections, mainly in butter and wool, between New Zealand and Italy, are being explored hy Signor Guilio Cerioli, who has come to the Dominion with credentials from a number of Milanese and other Italian firms, authorising him to investigate the conditions under which exports of ' New Zealand produce may he arranged with advantage to his principals. Although as yet he has visited only Wellington and one or two small towns in the South Island, he expresses his convict^on that with the return of normal conditions a big trade is capable of being worked up between the two countries. He mentioned that Italy's butter impoi'ts last year were 3000 tons. It was difficult to say how much 'Italy was capable of consuming in normal times, but if the price of New Zealand butter were reasonable and the present high quality assured he thought there was a big chance of the bulk of the importations being made from New Zealand. In regard to the tariff imposed by Italy to protect local industry there, it is very likely that this will either be reduced or abolished altogether. There is a big market in Italy for New Zealand wool, and he had already sent to his principals samples for inspection. The opening of actual negotiations for contracts with New Zealand exporters will d'epend on the instructions which Signor Cerioli expeets to receive from Italy. Meantime, he is conferring with the Minister of Agriculture and departmental and export control authorities.