IMPORTS AND EXPORTS

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 19161, 18 November 1927, Page 12

IMPORTS AND EXPORTS

. * j FIGURES FOR TEN MONTHS. I Feom a Ssscuii Comkspokdekt. ' WELLINGTON, November 17. | The gradual but satisfactory improvement in the trade position of the Dominion is more clearly revealed by the latest returns supplied by the Customs Department. The imports during October were £3,588,235, a decrease of nearly three-quarters of a million (£748,525) as compared with' the corresponding month in 1926, Due to the fact that October is just at the commencement of the export season, the value of the imports last month exceeded that of the exports by £1,244,928, but it is pleasing to note that that amount is less than, half the excess of imports for October, 1926. This is due to two causes: (1) The reduction in imports already mentioned, and (2) the increase of £670,020 in the value of exports last month compared with October, 1926, due to the large increase in dairy produce shipments. The detailed figures are as follows: — 1927. 1926. £ £ Imports .. 3,588,235 4,336,760 Exports .. 2,343,307 1,673,287 Excess of » ' . imports 1,244,928 2,663,473 The trade returns for the ten months ended October 31st reveal the great improvement in the position during the last year. The imports for the period were £37,272,274, a decrease of nearly £4,500,000 compared with the first ten months 0f.1926, while the exports totalled £40,259,995, an increase of £1,239,788. Whereas there was an excess of imports during the ten months of 1926 amounting to £2,720,921, there was a balance in favour of exports of nearly £3,000,000 for the ten months of the current year. The detailed figures afford a pleasing comparison: Ten months, Ten months, 1927. 1926. £ £ Imports .. 37,272,274 41,741,128 Exports 40,259,995 39,020,207 Excess of exports .. 2,987,721 Excess of imports .. 2,720,921 A further interesting comparison with the above figures for the years ended Dee-ember 31st, 1925 and 1926, is: .1925 1926. £ £ Imports •. 52,456,407 49,889,563 Exports .. 55,262,272 45,275,575 Excess of exports .. 2,805,865 . Excess of imports .. 4,613,988 It will thus be seen that during the period from January Ist, 1925, to October 31st, 1927, the exports have totalled £140,797,842, and the imports £139,618,244, leaving a balance in favour of exports for the two years and ten months of £1,179,598; in other words the unfavourable trade balance of 1926, amounting to £4,613,988, has been cancelled by the credit balan'ce of £2,805,865 of 1925, plus the balance of £2,987,721 for the ten months of 'this year, and there is £1,179,598 to the good. The position will be very much improved by the end of this year.