TRADE WITH CANADA

Wairarapa Times-Age, 1 September 1938, Page 8

TRADE WITH CANADA

EXTENSION OF AGREEMENT FOR ANOTHER YEAR STATEMENT BY MINISTER OF CUSTOMS. BALANCE IMPRACTICABLE. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. The Minister of Customs (the Hon. W. Nash) announced today that, following on negotiations with the Canadian Government, it had been agreed that the trade agreement between New Zealand and Canada, which was due to expire on September 30, should be extended for a further year. The agreement was first entered into in 1932, and the original term was for one year, but this period has been extended from time to time. When the last extension of a year was made, in September, 1937, it was hoped that in the meantime negotiations might be undertaken with a view to a new agreement. There had been no opportunity for this, said Mr Nash, but in March last, concurrently with the revision of the Australian trade agreement, the Canadian trade agreement had also been amended by an adjustment of duty in respect of a considerable number of items. That action was taken for the express purpose of safeguarding the interests of New Zealand manufacturers. The Minister said that, having regard to the nature of the commodities exchanged and required by either country, a balance of trade was* quite impracticable. So far as New Zealand was concerned, the most good could be achieved by a development of New Zealand’s export trade with Canada and the Government was doing all that was possible in the circumstances to that end.