OUR IMPORTS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 480, 13 April 1909, Page 5

OUR IMPORTS.

DECREASE TWELVE AND A HALF PER CENT. A DROP OF £609,370. 1 DETAILS OF COUNTRY OF ORIGIN. ._ A return of the- estimated value of the o imports into Wellington for the twelve months ended March 31 last shows that goods g valued at £4,878,492 wero brought in, a |f falling-off of £609,370 (or about 12J per cont.) when compared with the value of lmt ports for tho twelve months ended March 81, a 1908, but a slight increase on the- figures shown for tho twelve months ended March 31, 1907, which figures were- £4,700,832. Taking quarters separately it is scon that the three months ended with Juiio7 1908, give a decrcaso in value of £302,634 when compared with tho June quarter of 1907. ' Tho September quarters show vory little li variation, tho difference, being in * favour of tho financial year just closed. Tho s values for tho quarter ended December last ■t aro less by £145,527 than tho values for f the goods imported durin 2 tho quarter ended December, 1907. Tho values for tho t quarter just closed aro less by £170,777 Uiau o the- values for tho corresponding quarter a last year. : ' o Tho following tablo gives the estimated value of imports for tho twelve months ended ii March 31 for tho past three years:Juno Quartor.

Imports Classldod According to Origin, ' Tho United' Kingdom continues to provide. , tho bulk of the imports,, the total value of goods from this quarter being £3,062,689 for tho twelve months ended March 31 last, as , against £3..326,469 for the year ended-March 31, 1903, and £2,788,406 for tho year onilcd • . March 31, 1907. Australia, with £846,347, '. stands next, a falling-off from' £1,057,024 at tho end of March, 1003. Next in order comes America, whoso contributions for tho past twolvo months are valued at £502,309, against £684,231 for tho previous twelve months. Europe, £243,729, shows a alight incrcaso on tho values for'tho previous year, and Asia, £177,559, and tho Pacific £42,501, also advanced a little. African products roso from £569 at tho ond of March last year to £2853. Detailed figures giving the values for each of the past threo years are as under:— United Kiugdom.

SOUTH AFRICAN TRADE.

• !\ S a^° vo T ? iu ™? the market increase in the South African imports will be noted Apropos, it is noteworthy that the official figures relating to the trado of British South Africa for 1908 show imports, £24,438.266. and exports £45,655,399, a total of £(0,093,665, as compared with imports of £25,920,278, and exports of £48,233,606, in tho Aggregate £74,1,53,881, in 1907. The' shrinkage roprasonts £4,060.216, or under oi per cent., a not unfavourable record in. comparison with that of many other countries for the same period. Great Britain, of course, heads tho list, lior proportion of tho trade dono by British South Africa being 56 percent, of imports and 93 pur oent. of exports. In tho former, Australia figures for 0.7 per • cont. of imports and about 3 per cent, of'exports and towards hor share in the imports the preferential treatment granted her is undoubtedly a factor. Tho chief commodities shipped 'by tho Commonwealth u> British South Africa are:—Live' stock, £16,950; butter, £183,174; jams, etc, £12,880; wheat and flour, £953,030 • fresh and froacu mtats, £113,610; svisar, £176,083' leat.htr, etc., JC45.900; tallow,'£lß.3l7; nm| wood. £12,700. The bulk of the <«ports from British South Africa'consists pf ['.old, but other products aro beginning to slio\v expansion,' such us cereals. TJmso fipuro at £366.825, ns against £248,920 in 1907, mnizo ttMii); respimsiblo for 60 per cent, of tho total. Wool, too, is increasing, exports iii 11)08 being 8 per cent, larger than in tliq preceding year. In regard to this article, soinq authorities in Groat Britain look for continued'expansion, owing to t.ho improvement in tho South African flocks by tJio introduction of stud sheep from Australia. A revolution is ijuieUy proceeding in this direction, and the. advance mado lut-cly is stated ' to bo surprising. In 1900 only 140,000 bales of South African wool reached London, whereas m 1908 no fewer than 276,000 bales woro received, and in .a few years a total of 500.000 bales is looked for in somo auarters.

"Wβ. 1907. 1908 " £1,014,621 £1,285,388 , £982,754 September Quarter. ! !«»• " 1907; 1903 ■ £1,346,199 £1,485,940 £1,495,808' ( December Quarter. %18 0e- "1007. ■ i9 08 s £1,200,500 £1,286,224 £1,140,39? ; March Quarter. ls ">''- 1008. lonq - £1,190,512 £1,430,310 £1,259,533Total Annual Figures. 1906-07. 1907-08. 1908-00 ■ £4,760,832 ■ £5,487,862-. £4,878,492

190G-07. 1907-08. 1908-09. £2,788,406 •■ ■■ £3,326,409 £3,062,6S9 Australia. 1906-07, 1907-08. 1908-OD £1,001,476 £1,057,024 £840,847 Pacific Islands. . «'■ -S?*'"-... *BSk Africa. 1906-07. . . 1907.08, 1908-09. £316 £569 £2,853 Asia. ; 1906-07. 1907-08. 'l908-O9. £153,076 £156,576 £177,559 Amorioa. 1906-07. 1907-08. 1908-09. £537,477 £684,231 . £502,309 Europe. 190G-07. 1907-08. ■ 1908-09. £250,289 £222,258 , £243,729