RAYON EXPORTS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 27 August 1940, Page 5

RAYON EXPORTS

NOTABLE EXPANSION IN BRITAIN.

FORMER EUROPEAN TRADE TAKEN OVER. (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, August 25. Bristol rayon manufacturers are organised into one of the strongest of the export groups that have been formed with the approval of the Board of Trade for the promotion of Britain’s war time exports. The vitality and initiative of this young British industry hold considerable significance for that part of the world which has been cut off by Hitler’s war from other centres of supply for rayon goods. Rayon piece goods or their equivalent in yarn to the extent of nearly 250,000,000 square yards have been exported every year to the rest of the world from the countries in Europe which are now isolated by Nazi aggression from these markets.

About three-fifths of this trade, which is valued at about £10,000,000 was formerly held by Italy. Germany did part of it, and the rest belonged to her now helpless victims, the Netherlands, France, Belgium and Czechoslovakia, apart from the share taken by Switzerland.

The outside world is now dependent upon Britain, the United States and Japan to make up the supplies of which Hitler has deprived it. In the case of the countries of the southern and central American continent, it is estimated that they will want approaching 100,000,000 square yards yearly to replace what they can no longer obtain from their former suppliers so long as Hitler’s decree keeps idle the valuable plant and trained workers of Europe’s continental rayon- industry.