8.—6.

CUSTOMS DEPARTMENT. The estimated revenue from Customs duties, including excise beer duty, during the financial year ended 31st March, 1922, as compared with the amount actually realized and with the amount collected for the previous year, is as set forth below, viz. : — Estimated Amount . Amount r , t Amount over or „ , _ < .Revenue, realized, 117+- f collected. 1921-22. 1921-22. under Estimate. 1920-21. £ £ £ £ Customs duties .. 4,900,000 5,095,436 195,436 (over) 8,408,726 Excise beer duty .. 500,000 458,898 41 ,102 (under) 360,525 Totals .. 5,400,000 5,554,334 154,334 (over) 8,769,251 The number of gallons of beer brewed in New Zealand during the financial year was 13,669,777. This was a decrease of 1,256,849 gallons from the quantity brewed during the financial year 1920-21. During the last four financial years the values of imports and exports have been as follows : — Imports. Exports. £ £ 1918-19 .. .. .. 26,437,284 32,263,792 1919-20 .. .. .. 32,162,029 50,776,650 1920-21 .. .. .. 67,463,269 48,219,672 1921-22 .. .. .. 36,123,256 43,794,883 The import values represent the fair market values in the country of exportation, plus 10 per cent. The export values are the f.o.b. values. The value of our imports during last year was less than that of the previous abnormal year by the amount of £31,000,000, and the value of our exports exceeded that of our imports during the year by over £7,600,000. Owing to the fall in the market prices of our products, the value of our exports decreased nearly £4,500,000 as compared with the amount of exports for the previous year. The following table shows, for purpose of comparison, the value and tonnage of goods imported from the principal countries during the years 1914, 1919, 1920, and 1921 :—

Tariff Arrangements with Australia. During the recess the Minister of Customs for New Zealand visited Australia for the purpose of making more equitable tariff arrangements with that country. A treaty, subject to ratification by the Parliaments of both countries, was signed, and has been submitted for your consideration. An agreement was also made with the Government of the Commonwealth that goods which would be entitled to admission under the British preferential tariff if imported direct from the country of origin, but which have been imported into the Commonwealth and afterwards exported therefrom to the Dominion, will be entitled to admission under the British preferential tariff on the production of a

VIII

British Ports. U.S.A. Other Foreign rp ot£ Countries. lis. Year. Value Tons. Value. Tons £ £ 17,649.784 1,360,843 2,282,966 125,755 20.829,937 948.060 7,576,314 236.359 46,804.855 1,487,216 11,100,259 323,129 32,667,045 1,378,017 7,746.457 278,753 Value. Tons. Value. £ £ 1,923,346 52,157 21,856,096 2,265,447 64,723 30,671,698 3,690.714 113.038 61,595,828 2.528,941 62,431 42,942,443 Tons. 1914 , 1919 1920 1921 1,538.755 1,249,142 1,923,383 1,719,201