THE FALL IN TRADE.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 402, 11 January 1909, Page 5

THE FALL IN TRADE.

IMPORTS AND EXPORTS. DECREASE IN BRITAIN FOR 190*8. OVER A HUNDRED MILLIONS. I (ns TELEGiurn— vmsa association— copynjdnr.) ' London, January 8. British' imports for December inoreaßed by £841,000, exports declined to the extent of ! £3,840,000, and re-exports increased by £1,467,000, aB campared with tho same month of the previous year. The "Daily Ohroniclo" argues that, despite a shrinkage to tbo extent of 102 millions in the jeer 11)08 as compared with 1907, British trade is through tho worst of tho depression, and is now more than holding its own. "Tho Timos" doubts whether there will bo any material expansion in 1909. Tho " Westminster Gazette " declares that the amount of trade equals that of 1906, despite the deprcssipn, and that tho industrial outlook is liopeful. FIGURES FOR 1907 AND 1908. : The above oablegrain enables the figures for the year 1908 to bo completed. The imports. ' exports, and re-exports for the yoars 1907 and | 1908, and tho decreases in 1003, aro as under:— IMPORTS. \ . *1908. 1907. £ £< January ... 56,868,358 «o.ps!i February ... 52,428,815 62,026,507 Maroh ... ... 52,116,259 67,740,921 April ... ■ ... 47,039,912 56,782,701 . May 44,271,217 52,615,635 June 46,136,282 47,805,545 July 46,773,035 52,267,771 August ~. " ... 42,740,051 49,290,447 September ... 48,028,207 45.535.151 October ... 50,751,000 57,662,000 November • ... 49,907,000 57,145,000 December . ... 56,843,400 56,002,400 593,459,536 046,049,820 Deoreswso of imports in 1908, ,£52,589,7& i BXPOETS OF BRITISH MERCHANDISE. 1908. 1907. ' £ £ January ..'. 34,407,767 35,070,607 ; February ~. 31,949,514 32,073,345 Maroh , 32,893,421 3-4,723,034 ' April ~i ' ... 80,705,338 84,416,866 May ... ■ ... 31,066,877 36,922,648 Juno 28,053,139 33,111,060 July , 33,705,725 40,452,331 August ' 30,342,676 37,355,044 September ~, 31,621,200 35,156,320 October '~<■' 33,007,000 58,319,000 November ' ....29,147,000 85,862.000 December ' ... 29,401,700 32,741,700 377,201,368 426,203,864 Deorease of exports in 1908, JE49.002.498 .RE-EXPORTS. 1908. 1907. £ £ January <.i 6,599,209 8,793.276 February • ... 7,497,673 9,425,830 March 6,965,2.55 8,110,260 . April '..i •■ ~v 6,773,228 H 9,069,898 May ' i 0,431,654 8,451,786 ■ June 6,029,312 7,093,226 July , 6,310,928 ■ 7,888,291 August ... ~. 6,819,707 7,867,201 September ... 5,287,814 5.JU2.312 October ..-. 6,664,000 6,873,000 November ~. 6,681,700 6,131,000 December , ... 8,187,000 6,720,000 , • . . ,70,247,480 91,071,060 Decrease of re-exports in 1908, .£12,723,580 SUMMARY. 1908. 1907. £ £ Imports ~;-593,459,536 61-6,049,320 ' Exports* 4 ... 377,201,306 426,203,864 Re-exports ... 79,247,480 91,971,060 , -1>,049,908,-382 1,164,224,241' Deoreases of imports, exports, and re-exports in 1908 .• ... £114,315,862 . The statement of the "Daily, Chronicle" that tho decrease is 102 'millions is approximately correct if the re-exports are omitted from the calculation, re-exports being imports re ; exported. POUR YEARS COMPARED. The following tablo shows'the imports, exports, and re-exports , for tho last four years;— Year. Imports/' -Exports. Re-exports, £ £ £ 1908 ... 503,459,536 377,201,366 79,247,480 '1907 ... 646,049,320 426,203,864 ■ 91,971,060 1908 ... 607,388,500 375,575,338 85,102,180 1905 ..,.565,019,920 329,810,G14 77,779,913