Office of the Historian

611.47H31/30

The Consul General at Wellington (Hitch) to the Acting Secretary of State

No. 318
Wellington, June 21, 1933.
[Received July 17.]

Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your Instruction dated May 17, 1933, upon the subject above mentioned.

It is noted from your communication that legislation had not been enacted by Congress conferring upon the President the authority for negotiating reciprocal trade agreements, and for that reason the matter should not be discussed with the New Zealand authorities at this time.

By reference to my cablegram of May 23, 4 p.m., it will be noted that the New Zealand Government had taken the initiative in the matter, and that at the special request of the Acting Prime Minister, I had called upon him and was informed at the time of the interview that the New Zealand Government would be glad to negotiate a reciprocal trade agreement with the United States.

Upon the receipt of your reply to my cablegram I called upon Mr. Coates, the Acting Prime Minister, and exhibited to him a paraphrase [Page 113] of your cablegram. I have since received a confidential note from him dated June 16, 1933, containing a list of the commodities of New Zealand origin which his Government desires to have incorporated in any trade agreement hereafter negotiated between the Governments of the United States and New Zealand.

Your attention is specially invited to the last paragraph of the Acting Prime Minister’s letter, in which he requested me to inform you that the Government of New Zealand is anxious to enter into negotiations with the Government of the United States of America, with a view to the conclusion of a trade agreement which will be to the mutual advantage of both countries.

I am now conducting an investigation along the lines mentioned in the first paragraph on Page 2 of your instruction under acknowledgment, and as soon as possible I will transmit to you a list of products of American origin on which in my opinion concessions might advantageously be obtained from New Zealand. The concessions desired by New Zealand are set forth in the letter I have received from the Acting Prime Minister, a copy of which is transmitted herewith.

Respectfully yours,

Calvin M. Hitch
[Enclosure]

The New Zealand Acting Prime Minister (Coates) to the American Consul General at Wellington (Hitch)

C.22/11/3
Wellington, 16 June, 1933.

Sir: I have the honour to acknowledge receipt of your letter CMH.drm 631 of the 8th instant enclosing a paraphrase of a cablegram dated the 17th ultimo which you have received from the Secretary of State at Washington respecting the probability of a reciprocal trade agreement between the United States of America and this Dominion.

In reply I have to inform you that the New Zealand Government are gratified to learn that it is probable that legislation will be introduced in Congress at an early date which would authorise the President to conclude such an agreement. To this end it would be of great assistance to my Government in dealing with the matter if it could be arranged for your Government to give an indication of the goods or classes of goods of United States origin respecting which it may be desired that tariff concessions should be granted.

The principal commodities of New Zealand origin to which my Government would desire the Government of the United States of [Page 114] America to give consideration with a view to favourable tariff treatment are the following:

  • Butter,
  • Casein,
  • Cheese,
  • Fruits, viz., apples and pears,
  • Hides, calf and cattle,
  • Honey,
  • Hops,
  • Meats, canned,
  • Meat, frozen,
  • Peas unprepared,
  • Phormium tenax,
  • Seeds,
  • Tallow,
  • Wool.

I should be obliged if you would advise the Secretary of State at Washington along the lines indicated above and at the same time inform him that the Government of New Zealand are anxious to enter into negotiations with the Government of the United States of America with a view to the conclusion of a trade agreement which will be to the mutual advantage of both countries.

I have [etc.]

J. G. Coates