OVERSEAS TRADE

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 83, Issue 48, 27 February 1939, Page 9

OVERSEAS TRADE

EXPORT VALUES LOWER LAST YEAR ANALYSIS OF IMPORTS In terms of New Zealand currency, and excluding specie, exports for the year ended December 1, 1938, amounted to £58,376,283, and imports for the same period to £55,422,18 ), resulting in an excess of exports over imports of £2,954,094, as compared with £10,552,684 in 1937, £12,±93,054 in 1936, and £10,221,114 in 1935. These figures are given in the latest Abstract of Statistics. Merchandise exports in 1938 were £8,337,096, or 12.5 per cent., less than in 1937. The declared value of wool fell by 36 per cent., shipments falling by 4 per cent. Butter shipments declined by 12 per cent., but because of improved prices the value fell by 2.7 per cent. only. A considerable drop in vaiue was recorded for hides and skins, but, except for rabbitskins, quantities increased. Other noteworthy declines in quantity and value occurred in casein, lamb, preserved milk and cream, gold, and phormium fibre. Tallow exports- increased considerably, but the value was much

The declared value of cheese, in spite of reduced shipments, increased by 10.5 per cent. Beef, frozen and chilled, and mutton recorded substantial increases in both quantity and value, and there were also notable increases in apples, honey, peas and pears. Grass and clover seeds decreased in quantity and increased in value. Movements of Imports. The import total of £55,422,189 was £738,506 less than in 1937. Motor vehicles, the biggest item, fell, from £5,789,726 to £5,427,860, the number of vehicles declining from 36,779 to 33,464. Motor-spirits imports were easily a record with 102,288,881 gal-

lons (£1,881,210), comparing with the 1937 figure of <85,665,508 gallons (£1,856,274). Practically all soft-goods items declined. The principal increases, other than in motor vehicles and motor spirit, were as follows (1938 figures shown ' first, with those for 103 in par- . entheses: Bananas, £188,871 (£130,630); wheat, £803,593 (£489,019); unmanufactured tobacco, £320,751 (£241,- - 142); fuel oil, £585,182 (£332,390); iron ; and steel bar, bolt and rod, £765,024 < (£550,237); pig and billet, £155,414 ] (£75,282); railway and tramway plant ] £930,082 (£349,010); electricity ma- ;

chinery and equipment, £2,848,711 (£2,631,506); tractors and parts, £BOO,030 (£734,383); dredging and excavating machinery, £340,771 (£88,346); newsprint, £527,355 (£344,109); books, papers and music, £710,787 (£604,364); photographic materials, £271,441 (£198,737; timepieces, £224,796 (£155,048); arms, ammunition and explosives, £516,377 (£434,847). The principal decreases were:— Sugar, £601,271 (£724,164); seeds, £151,715 (£207,839); hosiery, £365,161 (£447,347); miscellaneous apparel and ready-made clothing, £1,511,897 (£1,810,606); boots and shoes, £578,024 (£708,024); plain tablecloths, towels, etc., £329,903 (£400,424); miscellaneous drapery, £399,144 (£450,353); carpets, matting, and linoleum, £684,790 (£915,634); cotton piecegoods, £1,497,504 (£1,944,288); felt piece-goods and textiles, £75,371 (£126,748); silk piece-goods, £953,275 (£1,215,390); woollen piece-goods, £776,149 (£1,130.580); sewing silks and cottons, £151,112 (£207,403); lubricating oil, £315,226 (£397,913); iron and steel-galvanised plate and sheet, £537,012 (£676,258); tinned plate and sheet. £370,060 (£472,958); plain fencing wire, £198,550 (£252,625); miscellaneous hardware, cutlery, etc., £990,096 (£1,068.802); wireless apparatus, £430,155 (£607,238); sewing machines, £188,775 (£261,831); leather, £207,101 (£264,033); paper, other than printting, £434.656 (£499,001); phosphates, £532,834 (£636,467). December Figures Exports of merchandise during the month of December, 1938, were valued at £3,728,271, a decrease of £657,774 below the total for November. and of £688,666 below the total in December. 1937. The factor mainly responsible for these decreases was the small quantity of butter shipped in December. 1938, only 161.556 cwt. (value, £951,090) being forwarded, as compared with £366,537 cwt. (value. £2.298,692) in November, and £276.565 cwt. (value, £1.840,625) in December, 1937. On the other hand, wool valued at £1.155,735 was exported in December. 1938. as against a total of £660,488 in the same month of the previous year.

The value of commodity imports was £4.765,094. a decrease of £18,317 below the figure for November, but an increase of £156.803 above the total in December. 1937.

As the result of the month’s trading in commodities, an excess of imports amounting to £1,036,823 has emerged. In each of the last six months the value of imports has exceeded that of exports, the cumulative excess of imports over the period amounting to £7,243,485. In the same period of 1937 a similar result was experienced, the excess of imports on that occasion amounting to £5,820.272. During the first six months of 1938 exports exceeded imports by £10,197.-. 579, the net result for the whole calendar year being an excess of exports amounting to £2,954,094. In the first six months of 1937 there was an excess of exports totalling £16,372,956. which was reduced to £10,552.684 for the complete calendar year 1937.