OUR IMPORTS AND EXPORTS.

Evening Star, Issue 3046, 22 November 1872, Page 4

OUR IMPORTS AND EXPORTS.

(From the Independent.)

* The periodical statistics published by the Customs department may justly be regarded as an index of the condition of the trade and commerce of the Colony aud of its general progress. We have before us a number of tables relating to the transactions of the quarter ending on the 30th September, a summary of which may not be without interest to our readers. The returns for the last quarter, as compared with the corresponding period of 1871, show as follows: Exports, September quarter, 1672, L 667,495, as against L 1,218,099 in the same quarter of 1871. The discrepancy is largely made up of the falling off in the yield of the Auckland gpldfields, the difference in the total gold export being nearly half a million. There was a considerable diminution in the export of kauri gum to the extent of L 20,000, and in the export of preserved meats, which did not reach this quarter to more than half the quantity of the corresponding period of 1871, the proportions being L 61,605 in the September quarter, 1871, and only L29,20S for the same period in this year. Flax shows a slight increase in exportation, whilst silver has fallen from L 14.900 toJLSOOO. Tallow also exhibits a falling off of about 50 per ceut., but wool shows an increase of L 30.000 for the quarter. It is a remarkable fact that during the quarter under notice our exports to Victoria exceeded in value those to the United Kingdom, the amounts being Victoria, L 324,483; United Kingdom, L 270,469. We sent products to the value of L 23.040 to New South Wales, and L 20.710 to the United States of America. The disproportionate position of the exports to Victoria is mainly due to the fact that most of the produce of our goldfields is sent to that Colony, and afterwards figures in its exports to Great Britain The imports for the quarter amounted in value to L 1,396,619, as against Ll. 149,905 for the corresponding quarter of 1871, being an increase of L 146,714. The trade of the various Provinces may be judged by their relative positions in this return : Otago £496,339 Auckland .... 316,464 C'anterbmy .... 204,365 Wellington - 162,035 Nelson .... 88,969 Westland .... 83,081 Hawke’s Bay - - - 35,686 Taranaki .... 5,914 Marlborough - - - 3,760 Of the total amount of importations, of course the greatest proportion is derived from Great Britain, but it is worth noticing that we are gradually extending our fields of commerce. Although we took during the quarter over LBOO,OOO worth of goods from the United Kingdom, we paid nearly half as much to Victoria, and over a hundred thousand pounds to New South Wales, We also note that we became indebted to the extent of I 34,000 to the Celestial Kingdom for tea aud other products, and that *he United States sent us “notions” to the value of L 22.175. These returns speak favorably of the condition of our trade and commerce.