TRADE BALANCE

Hokitika Guardian, 25 February 1929, Page 8

TRADE BALANCE

JANUARY’S RECORD EXPORTS

WELLINGTON, Feb 21

A gratifying feature of the tradi figures for January supplied by tin Customs Department is that the exports were a record for one month. The total value of the exports lasi month was £8,449,931 which represents an increase of £843,546 compared with January, 1928. The January export.-, for the last five years have been as follows:—January, 1929 £8,449,931 198, £7,606,385; 1927, £5,205140; 1926, £5,037,981; 1925, £6,696,059. As was shown last month the export; for the calendar year ended December 31st 1928 constitutes a record with a total value of £56,188,4.81. It is, of course too early yet to say what the position will be for the present year, or even for the current export season, especially in view of the ponounced fall in price of wool. The dairy season promises to be a record one. hut for the first four months of the meat export season there was a heavy decline in beef shipments and a decrease in mutton and lamb shipments compared with the corresponding period of last season. The incrcaso in the value of exports during January compared with the corresponding month of last year was largely accounted for by cheese and wool.

Tile imports for January were valued at £4,319,091, an increase of £549,071 compared with January, 1928, and of £896,402 compared with December, 1928. '

The following table affords a comparison between the trade returns for last month and those for January, 1928:

The exports For the first six months of the current season, August Ist. 1928. to January 31st, 1929, were nearly £1,000,000 in excess of those for the corresponding period of last season. There was also an increase of over £1,500,000 in the value of the imports. The figures are set out in the following comparative table:— 'l-8-’2B to l-8-’27 to 31-i-’29. 31-1 -’2B. £ £ Exports 23,567.219 22,579.167 Imports 24,623,381 23,102.466 Excess of imports 1,056,162 523.299 Imports are invariably heavy during the spring and summer months and with the increasing flow of exports from the end of January onwards the position shown in the above table will lie redressed as the export season advances.

Jan., . Jan., 1929. 1928. £ £ Exports ■8.449,931 7,606,385 Imports 4,319,091 3,770,020 Excess of exports 4,130,840 3,836,365