Letter to the Editor Thursday January 9, 2014

Feel the pain

The radio reports I hear lately say that it is so important that we do not compromise our parallel importing in the current trade negotiations.

When it was introduced way back I wrote to the Minister responsible for the law change that allowed it.

I asked, why did they do it? The reply was, in order to allow New Zealand manufacturers to purchase raw materials on the open market at best prices so as to make us more competitive.

That is fine but when I asked, what do we manufacture with DVD players, lipsticks, pushbikes, TVs and hair dryers? There was distinct lack of response.

We do possibly get cheaper goods as a result, but there is always a cost somewhere - lack of range, quality and products suitable for local conditions.

As only the fast movers in a range are usually parallel-imported, the regular supplier has to charge more for the others in the range to provide service to our people. So we end up paying more in the long term, yet again. Short-term gain and long-term pain, my Mum used to say.

ERIC SHACKLETON

Kaitaia