H.—44

Increases in quantities and values over 1936 figures are recorded in butter, beef, lamb, hides and calfskins, and gold, while increased returns are shown for cheese, pork, pelts, wool, tallow, kauri-gum, sausage-casings, and Phormium tenax. The most notable variation occurred in the case of wool, where there was a decrease of 8 per cent, in the quantity exported, but the aggregate return was £5,799,708, or 42 per cent., greater than the previous year's figures. Direction of Trade. In order to give some indication of the direction of our export trade, Table 111 sets out the distribution of the merchandise shipped from New Zealand for the past four years, expressed both in value and as a percentage of total exports : —

Table III. —Direction of New Zealand's Export Trade.

While direct comment on the variations shown in the preceding table will be made under paragraphs relating to countries, it is pertinent to observe the reduced proportion of our total exports absorbed by the United Kingdom, Australia, and France, and the increased proportion taken by the United States of America, Japan, and Canada. IMPORTS. The quantities and values of the principal items imported into New Zealand during the past two calendar years' are set out in Table IV : —-

Table IV. —Principal Imports (excluding Specie).

3

1934. 1935. 1936. 1937. Value. centage. Value. cen tage. Value. j centag& Value. oen t a g e . British possessions, protectorates, &e.— £(N.Z.) £(N.Z.) £(N.Z.) £(N,Z.) United Kingdom .. .. 38,629,240 81-59 38,921,568 83-63 45,492,989 80-15 50,724,550 76-03 India .. .. 65,161 0-14 60,956 0-13 125.826 0-22 135,730 0-22 Ceylon .. .. .. 393 0-00 1,528 0-00 1,401 0-00 1,074 0-00 South African Union .. 29,152 0-06 27,504 0-06 21,855 0-03 29,554 0-04 Canada . .. .. 697,865 1-46 656,984 1-41 1,103,008 1-96 1,667,449 2-49 Australia .. .. .. 1,882,516 3-98 1,781,811 3-83 1,843,475 3-25 1,824,183 2-74 Fiji .. .. .. 85,493 0-18 86,191 0-19 102,076 0-17 95,214 0-14 Other British countries _ . . 190,581 0-42 241,999 0-52 272,736 0-52 304,244 0-46 Total, British countries 41,580,401 87-83 41,778,541 89-77 48,963,366 86-30 54,781,998 82-12 Foreign countries and possessions— United States of America .. 1,250,364 2-64 2,468,071 5-30 2,877,752 5-07 4,796,039 7-19 France .. .. 1,228,699 2-60 484,610 1-04 1,646,168 2-90 1,014,941 1-52 Belgium .. .. .. 612,646 1-29 647,212 1-39 618,356 1-09 700,964 1-05 Germany .. .. .. 944,310 2-00 165,304 0-36 272,481 0-48 918,171 1-38 Japan .. .. .. 856,014 1-81 432,495 0-93 1,554,837 2-74 *3,131,986 4-70 Dutch East Indies .. .. 2,548 0-01 2,235 0-01 1,894 0-00 4,053 0-00 Other foreign countries .. 867,865 1-82 560,210 1-20 817,086 1-42 1,123,571 1-68 Total, foreign countries 5,762,446 12-17 4,760,137 10-23 7,788,574 13-70 11,689,725 17-52 * Ships' stores .. .. .. . • • • • • • • • • 241,656 0-36 Totals, all countries .. 47,342,847 100-00 46,538,678 100-00 56,751,940 100-00 66,713,379 100-00 » Prior to 1st January, 1937, " s hips" stores " were classed as an item of export to the country of destination of the vessel purchasing stores in the Dominion.

1936. ' 1937. Item. I Quantity. I Value. ! Quantity. Value. £(N.Z.) £(N.Z.) Wheat .. .. Bushels 407,141 100,676 1,577,650 489,019 Sugar .. .. .. Cwt. 1,751,243 663,285 1,851,403 723,225 Tea . .. •• •• Lb. 11,242,534 750,026 10,682,222 822,571 Whisky .. .. Gallons 316,519 382,918 340,491 420,719 Cigarettes .. .. ..Thousands 408,596 382,188 508,608 481,314 Tobacco .. .. •• Lb. 3,082,200 399,328 3,315,663 439,800 Seeds •• •• 141,962 .. 207,838 Hosiery . .. .. .. .. 246,536 .. 447,354 Apparel, n.e.i .. .. 1,261,519 .. 1,814,116 Boots and shoes .. . . Doz. pre. . 219,650 508,778 267,035 708,024 Drapery, n.e.i. .. .. ... •• ... 368,963 .. i 450,871 Carpets, &c .. .. 688,394 .. | 915,635