PM Transcripts

; PA
PRESS STATEMENT NO. 470
17 March' 1975
AUSTRALIAN BEEF EXPORTS WITH JAPAN
The Prime Minister, Mr. Whitlam, announced today
that the Japanese Government had allocated an im~ port
quota of 2,400 tonnes of beef for the Okinawa market.
Mr. Whitlam said the-Japanese Government had
made a simultaneous announcement of its decision in Tokyo
this afternoon. Commenting on the reopen-ing of the Japanese beef
market Mr. Whitlam, said:" The amount is not significant
compared with our peak exports tc Japan of 115,000 tonnes
in 1974. " What is welcome is the reaffirmation I have
received from the Japanese Goverrmen-t that they will
be approaching the question of further meat imports in a
forward looking constructive matter."
Mr. Whitlam said the Australian Government
expected that Australia would get at least its traditional
share of the new beef quota.
The Prime Minister said that the Australian
Government would continue to make strenuous efforts to
persuade the Japanese Government to purchase more Australian
meat. He recalled-that during the visit to Australia of
the then Japanese Prime Minister, Mr. Tanaka, in November,
he took every opportunity both public-ly and in private,
to emphasise the plight of the Australian beef producers..
His colleague, the Minister for Agriculture, made similar
strong representations to senior Japanese ministers when he
was in Tokyo in October last year.
" jWe will continue to maintain our efforts and we
now have greater reason to hope for more substantial
development as the Japanese situation further improves,"
the Prime-Minister concluded.
CANBERRA, A. C. T.