JAPAN'S FOREIGN TRADE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 1610, 14 September 1916, Page 4

JAPAN'S FOREIGN TRADE.

While tlu> wav is being carried on and lirilish, French. Russian and llnlinn factories arc unable lu cope with civil requirements in addition li, (hose of the army and navy, it is but natural that Japan should avail herself of (lie favourable opening presented by the dislocation of trade brought, about by the war, and seize the opportunity of building up her trade. We (ind an ever increasing number of articles of Japanese nianulacluvc in our shops and warehouses, and one wonders whether or not, forgetting all about the yellow peril of a couple of years ago, we shall after tin* war keep our markets thrown open to tln> peaceful invasion of (he Japan : ese merchants, whether in short we shall Jet the Japanese merchants lake the place formerly occupied by those of Germany. A few weeks (he Imperial Minister of Munilions, Mr Lloyd George, informed the Gommonwealth Minister of Defence when dealing with the cessation of shell manufacture throughout the-Gommonwealth, that Australia can best, help the Imperial Government by making locally (hose goods she now imports from Britain, 1 lias relieving the stress on British factories and on shipping space. The same advice applies equally to New Zealand, and we look forward to the lime when this country, which lias such a wealth of raw material, shall convert that same material iiiio goods of its own manufacture.

Meanwhile il is ini crest ing and instructive to note that Japan is showing 1 remarkable oxpsiiisicm in her foreign 1 r;i<lt j . In Alarch lasi her exports amounted to no less than i‘H,700,0(1(1, as against £5,(i!)0,(100 titv tin 1 corresponding motilli lost year. The increase was mainly in raw .silk Min! cotton yarns and nnimiraetnres, (lion**-li minor exports such as matches, hats hultons, pottery, toys, etc., exhibitod substantia] gams. Imports also displayed improvement, the total rising from £1,500,000 to .C 0,030,000. The chief advance in outward trade was in raw and semi-raw industrial materials, conspicuous among which were raw cotton and wool, rubber, iron, lead and pulp for paper making. .For the first-quarter of (he year .Japanese exports atnounled in value to £21,888.0(10. an increase of £7,8.12.000, while the total imports, at £17,581,000, showed an advance of £-1,850,000, the excess of exports for the (piarler amounting to £4,307.000, against £1,3-14,000 a year ago. Tim favourable trade balance is reflected in the movements ot bullion and specie l , of which exports for the three months (iguro at £0.18,200, and imports, chiefly gold, at £2,035,000.