BRITISH TRADE

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 259, 29 July 1919, Page 6

BRITISH TRADE

... THE MAI" STATISTICS. Eeturns 'of Britain's overseas trade for May are" disappointing (says the "Daily' Mail"). ■

' , Although May contained 27 working days, against April's 24, exports did not increase in the same proportion, while imports, already too big, increased substantially, though mainly in raw materials for manufacture. Afl'a result the,'proportion of the .total exports to imports last month was 56 per ( eeut., against 61 per cent, in April. ' This means that there was a set-back in the T very. .desirable reduction of the adverse trade balance.

How the returns now issued compare With those, for May last year and with the May before the war is shown in ; tlie following statement, but the great increaso in prices since the war vitiates the comparison to a certain extent:—

Coal exports showed pood progress. Including coke and manufactured fuel, they amounted to X' 8,000,000, against ',£5,400,099 for April and <£4,309,000 in May last year. . In quantity they amounted last month to. 4,109,000 tons, against 3,100.000 tons in ' Hay last year, but this compares with G,500,000 tons, in May, JOl4, although tbo value last month -was nearly twice that of May. 1914. Exports of British cotton yarns and fabrics were a little less than in April, hut woollen manufactures showed a slight increase in value. Machinery at ,£2,700,000 was about <£609,000 ahead of April, but comparies ill with the ,£3,400,000 exported in May, 1914, especially when tho increase in prices is considered. Chemicals and dyes suffered a setback. As for the imports, disappointment with their great volume is tempered by the fact that the biggest increases v. ere in raw materials. Wool amounted to .£15,900,000, against .£9,800,009 in April nnd i 1,800,000 in. May last year.

Proportion of exImports. Exports ports to Ji imports. May, 1919 136,000,000 7G,000,000 56 p.c. ' J Lav, 1918 120,000,000 <18,000,000 38 p.c. s .\lay, 1914 59,000,000 52,000,000 88 p.c.