IMPORTS DECREASE

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 279, 15 February 1928, Page 9

IMPORTS DECREASE

MOTOR TRADE RETURNS BETTER BRITISH SALES The Dominion imports of motor vehicles last year were the lowest in value since 1922, being a reduction of £1,647,637 on the preceding year, 1926. The imports fell to nearly half those of the boom period in 1925. The least falling off was in the case of English vehicles, which took second place in the year’s list. The percentage of expenditLire on English makes rose by 6£ per cent. Following are details of the dutiable value of cars, chassis and commercial vehicles of all types imported during the last two years: 1926. 1927. United States .. .. 1,964,277 1,140,054 Gi'eat Britain .. .. 776,834 563,143 Canada .. .. .. .. .. 839,188 276,359 Italy 63,626 39,169 France .. .. .. .. .. 31,590 8,508 Belgium 7,548 8,022 Germany HO 281 3.653.173 2,035,536 The efforts of manufacturers to produce cars suitable for colonial requirements are considered to be largely responsible for the increase in sales of English cars. Of the 10,871 automobiles imported, 852 were chassis without bodies. The details of the cars and chassis imported quoted below show a decrease of 46i per cent, on the 1926 figures: 1926. 1927. No. No. United States 10,291 -6,122 Canada 7,209 Great Britain 2,313 -,128 Italy .. 368 241 France .. .. 136 30 Belgium 10 12 Germany 1 2 20,328 10,871 Commercial vehicle figures show less of a general decrease. The imports fell short of the 1926 total of 2,706 by less than 500. In this section British vehicles are second in the falling off. Canada being a close third.