WELLINGTON NEWS

Hokitika Guardian, 16 September 1929, Page 3

WELLINGTON NEWS

IMPORTS INTO NEW ZEALAND.

(Special Correspondent )

WELLINGTON, September 12i

The detailed statistical intonnatioß of the trade of the Dominion is only made available once a year, and this is inevitable because of the enormorts

amount of detail work. The. statistics now available deal only with 1928, and the exports for the year were valued at £7,692,127 more than in 1927, hut the export figures are not so important as . imports, as we know month by month What is exported, the values and th> destination. The wool exported in! 1921 . was valued at £16,679,098, as compared with £12,961,744 in 1927. The substantial increase shown was due to increased production, and more to'.high prices. •V. • i When-the 1929 figures are published I in detail ,we think it will be found that [.ijvool has realised only slightly more money than in 1927. The imports for 1928 are interesting as showing the sources from'which we obtain our merchandise. Of course the bulk qf it comes from the United Kingdom, but not the proportion the Mother Coimtrv' has a right to expect. -\ The imports last year were valued at £44,886,266, or £103,320 more than in 1927. The imports have grown at a riiuch greater rate this year, and when the final figures are published lif will b& found that the balance of trade is noifc very great. This is somewhat unfortunate for there is every indication that wool and meat will realise poor prices, but it is impossible to say what will happen in respect to dairy produce', which moves up or down according to. cjimatic conditions in the producing

countries. The total per head of the mean population for 1928 was £7O 4s lid, made up of imports £3l. 3s lid and exports £39 Is. • New Zealand’s trade has grown during the . post-war period, blit a good deal of the increase is due to higher market values. V Our imports from the .United- Kingdom have declined from 86.3 per cent in 1921 to 72.09 per cent in 1928, and this has been brought about by foteign competition, mainly from the' United States, for this country ranks next - v t<o. the United 'Kingdom in regard 'to trade with the Dominion.’!/,.The Americans secured a footing here immediately after the war when England was exhausted by four years of struggle and hardship, and was confronted -with the stupendous task of reorganising her inoustnes t 6 fit peace-time • requirements. America is a seller, not a buyer, and appears to he a firm • believer in one-way . trade with foreign

countries-, uu

Considerable • increases -in frpzeh meat, wool, hides and skins, cheese and kauri gum, together with a shipment of £IOO,OOO gold specie increased our exports to the United States from 5,,53 per cent in 1927 to 7.58 per cent in 1928. But we cannot expect this percentage to be maintained ■! under the new ' tariff, that is now before Congress. There is no increase in the wool duties, but that does not mein anything to us W the United States is now buying comparatively little wool; at least that was the case last season.

Imports from the United- States are much in excess of our exports to that country. Motor vehicles and motor \ spirit constitute the bulk of the imports, but the trade covers a wide range of goods, including iron and steel • manufactures, especially, electrical machinery, which one may reasonably doubts as being up to the'Britisii standard because of mass production, soft goods, timber, sulphur, tobacco, and cinematograph and other films.

The trade relations between the United States and New Zealand Is too one-sided, and when the new tariff becomes operative it will be worse/, for, as the Prime Minister observed in Pdr-i liament the other day, “So far Netf Zealand is concerned, we are getting into . the position that the United States’ tariff is next dooir to prohibitive to us.” ,• We must not bend our; knefes to the United States in this matter, and if we are to be hit by America wd must hit .back. ■

It is to be hoped that the Government is closely' studying the position and will be prepared at the right time to give the United'. States' a backhander. Our butter apd our meat will be shut out of the United States under the new tariff. These products, ,to--gether with wool, are the chief of. our income, and to strife back at the United States we must tariff next door to prohibitive so far As American motor cars and motor spirits are concerned. Last year the imports of motor vehicles (exclusive of, > motor cycles) into Auckland were valued, .at £670,401; into Wellington £1,357,779; into Christchurch £394,598, and Dunedin £191,435. ■ • * '