Mixed Fortunes

This has been a year of mixed fortunes for Aberdeen’s comb industry. Foreign import restriction and devaluation are having their effect on the trade of the Combworks.

While it is difficult to export to European countries, exports to the United States are increasing, largely due to devaluation. But devaluation has also caused the price of raw materials from the dollar countries to rise. The result will be that, in the near future, certain types of combs will cost more.

Officials of the company told a reporter of ”The Press and Journal” that there had been no improvement during 1949 in the granting of import licences by foreign countries, and that, abroad, they could not fulfil them until they received the licences.

They considered that the home industry was not receiving a fair deal, as the government had given free import licences to all foreign combs. This was going to be detrimental to the home industry, and it savoured of the days of Japanese competition.

Main grievance

The main grievance, however, was that the British Government granted these licences on the understanding that the foreign countries would reciprocate, but this had not been done so far.

So the position was that combs from France, Belgium, and other European countries could pour freely into this country, while British manufacturers were hamstrung by foreign import restrictions.

The demand for horn combs has been increasing, especially for export, and more inquiries for them are coming in from the United States.

Source : The Aberdeen Press and Journal, 28th December 1949