TRADE RETURNS.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4435, 7 June 1875, Page 2

TRADE RETURNS.

The New Zealand Gazette of the 20th May, contains the trade returns for the last March quarter. The following are the gross results ; Imports. Exports. March 9,1875 .. £2,494,363 £2,833,482 March 9, 1874 .. 2,120,669 2,293,814 Increase .. £373,604 £344,663 These figures exhibit an unmistakeable progress. The magnitude of our foreign trade may be guessed from the fact that it represented £5,132,815 for the last March quarter. The imports were slightly in excess of exports. Analysing the tables, we find the following results : March Quarter, 1875. Imports. Exports. Auckland .. ..£506,393 £223,328 Thames 5,795 New Plymouth .. 5,626 1,963 Wanganui .. .. 19.765 ~~ Wellington .. •• 320,680 Napier 60,146 230,085 Wairau 3.759 3,813 Nelson 80,553 5,4/5 Westport .. •• 13,129 25,559 Greymouth .. .. 34,618 102,647 Hokitika .. . • 24,37 4 51.013 Lyttelton .. .. 318,883 610,103 Timaru 31,578 3,975 Oamaru 13,441 Dunedin .. .. 977,041 8i7J24 Invercargill .. .. 64,213 181,217 Riverton .. .. 5,283 . The foregoing figures will give our readers a general idea of the distribution of commerce throughout the colony. It is satisfactory to note, that with few exceptions the several ports quoted show a marked increase in the foreign transactions for the quarter under review. There was a large falling off in the value of exports at Wellington, as compared with tho corresponding period of 1874, while Napier showed an opposite result. In Nelson there was also a very large falling-off' in exports. At Westport it was the same, but Greymouth shows a large increase, while Hokitika is about stationary. The import tables show the largest relative increase on the quarter at Auckland, Wellington, Dunedin, and Invercargill. Lyttelton exhibits a large falling-off. On the whole, however, the result is satisfactory. The export values of staple articles of produce for the March quarter were as under. Thus ; Gold £301.176 Oats .. .. .. .. • • 18,804 Kauri gum 35,405 Wool 2,074,503 Among the exports were preserved meats, leather, hides, tallow, hemp, oil, timber, grass seed, rabbit skins (£2,886) and seal skins (£2,770).