BRITISH TRADE

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2724, 20 March 1916, Page 6

BRITISH TRADE

INDUSTRIAL POSITION STRENGTHENED

FIGURES FOR LAST YEAR

THE DOMINIONS SHARE

The annual details of the trade of the United Kingdom in 1915 wli7ch have just been received in ±\ew Zealand by the British Trade', Commissioner (Mr. B. W. Dalton) are o7 more than ordinary interest,''the year which they cover being the lirst complete year during the war.

Th'e figures of importation into the United Kingdom reached the remarkable total of £853,7156,279, an increase as compared with the previous year of over 22 per cent., and an incrcaso of over 11 per cent, as compared with 1913. The increase in the imports of foou Items alone amounted to £84,931,694, as compared with 1914. • As showing the extent to which New Zealand participated in this increase it may be stated that the imports of frozen beeffrom this Dominion increased by £1,232,000, those of frozen mutton by £2,234,000, those of butter by £593.000, and those of cheese, etc., by £649,000 in 1915 as compared with 1914, and in each 1 case the imports in 1914 exceeded by a considerable amount those of the pre-war year of 1913. It will thus bo seen that *the amount of increased trade which Now Zealand has obtained in £he_ Mother Country m these 1915 over 1914 is represented by a value of £4,688,000, the increase' m 1915 over the pre-war year of 1913 was as much as £6,714,000, an increase which appears all the more imposing when it is considered that the total imports of all food items from New Zealand in 1913 was not more than £8,876,000.

, When we turn to raw materials, we finely that the total imports into the ITnueu Kingdom increased by £50,810,000, of -this increaso £9,902,000 represented the value of additional arrivals of wool, in which the increase in the imports of this commodity from New Zealand beipg not less than £2,447,000 (over 28 per cent.). The export returns for the yoar 1915 are no Jess remarkable. In spite of the demands for war needs, the total exports of the Mother Country in 1915 amounted in value to as much as £385,000,000. In view of all the circumstances this is an achievement which is nothing short of remarkable. In the boom year of 1913 the total exports from the United Kingdom amounted to £525,000,000. Of this amount over £73,000,000 represented exports to countries with which we are now at war. Deducting this amount it will be seen that the exports in that year, which was a remarkable year of prosperity in England, to countries with which we are now trading amounted to £453,000,000, or only £68,000,000 more than in a year of devastating war. A similar comparison with the year 1914 is' even more remarkable. In that year trade followed its normal course for seven months of the vear. The net exports, deducting trade with countries now at. war amounted to about £400,000,00,0, so that in spite of those seven months of normal trading, the exports for the whole year were only £15,000,000, or less than 4 per cent, in excess of those for the year 1915, a complete year of war conditions. Two -important conclusions may bo drawn from these facts, viz., that the industrial in England has strengthened in spite of a continued depletion of forces as a result of extensive recruiting, and that enterprise in industrial circles in the United Kingdom is still great and on the increase. The following details of exports of principal lines to New Zealand in 1915 as compared with 1914 and 1913 are of interest: — Twelve months ended December 31,1915. 1913, 1914, 1915* Beer and! ale ...... .40,422 39,913 36,466 Salt (except table salt) 23,430 23,467 23,663 Spirits (British and Irish) 285,375 802,681 275,097 Iron and steel and manufactures thereof ...... 1,308,683 1,025,511 1,071,114 Copper, wrought or manufactured ... 64,602 47,757 60,410 Cutlery ... 41,834 36,310 38,150 Hardware 117,612 101,873 83,790 Agricultural machinery of -all kinds ... 32,684 20,898 15,757 Mining do. 27,063 13,807 11,065 Cotton piece goods of all kinds 808,587 771,725 816,992 Woollen and worsted manufactures ... 472,969 374,832 425,483 Haberdashery 81,358 68,934 70,044 Jute manufactures 51,236 45,044 30,444 Linen piece goods of all kinds 134,575 103,707 93,465 Apparel ... 766,624 694,214 614,091 Boots and shoes ... 305,399 297,359 282,407 Saddlery and harness ... 26,876 v 18,860 15,226 Earthenware and glass 128,030 112,685 101,888 Paper of all kinds ... 147,210 155,627 149,997 Cement ... 11,452 10,763 1,149 Stationery other than paper ... 66,995 64,186 59,094 The total exports of all these lines were valued at £5,064,000 in .1913, £4,349,000 in 1914, and £4,429,000 in 1915. It is interesting to note that while there was a decrease in exports as between 1914 and 1915, this decrease was very slight, and was in fact slightly less than the decrease in the total exports to all destinations, after making allowance for the disappearance of trade with enemy countries. From this fact it may fairly be concluded that manufacturers in England are doing their utmost to meet the needs of the New Zealand market, equally with other markets, and in spite of the great difficulties with which they are surrounded are succeeding remarkably well. ;