H.—44

Table VIII hereunder sets out in some detail the nature of our export trade with Australia for the two years 1936 and 1937 :—

Table VIII.

It is seen that there has been some increase in the quantity of sugar of milk exported but reduced quantities of timber, fish, wool, casings, and sheep-skins, but increased prices obtained for fish and wool have offset the reduced quantities in these items. The development in Australia of major secondary industries such as aeroplanes and munition manufacture is of paramount importance to New Zealand. Towards the latter part of 1937 the Australian Government, at the invitation of the New Zealand Government, sent a delegation headed by the Hon. T. G. White to discuss trade matters. The need for increased production within the Dominion necessitated additional protection for certain industries, and following the discussions, by the Trade Agreement (Australia) Order 1938, effective as from Ist March, 1938, certain alterations in the tariff on goods the produce or manufacture of the Commonwealth of Australia were made. TRADE WITH CANADA. Again there has been a notable increase in the total trade between New Zealand and Canada, exports from New Zealand rising in 1937 by £564,441, or 51 per cent., compared with 1936, while imports from that source increased by £1,238,359, or 37 per cent., over the previous year's figures. Table IX sets out the position for the past five years : —

Table IX. —Total Trade with Canada.

Canada in 1937 took 249 per cent, of our total exports, as against 1-96 per cent, in 1936, while we imported goods of Canadian origin to the extent of 8-13 per cent, of total imports, as against 7-53 per cent, in the previous year. It is interesting to note that from Canadian statistics imports of New Zealand origin represent 1 per cent, of total imports into Canada and New Zealand absorbs 1-5 per cent, of the total exports from Canada. These percentages relate to the year ended 31st March, 1938, during which period, again quoting Canadian statistics, exports to New Zealand improved by 43-3 per cent, and imports from New Zealand by 374 per cent, compared with the 1936-37 year. The major items entering New Zealand from Canada show increases as follows, 1936 figures being shown in parentheses; Motor-vehicles, £1,555,776 (£907,887) ; rubber tires, £429,441 (£261,886) ;

7

1936. 1937. Commodity. I i Quantity. Value. Quantity. Value. | • ; j £(N.Z.) £(N.Z.) Timber, sawn .. .. Sup. ft. 25,693,632 242,570 16,072,627 174,329 Phormium tenax .. .. Tons 2,965 59,202 2,788 72,244 Tow .. .. .. 217 2,372 154 1,973 Grass and clover seeds .. Cwt. 32,409 68,020 23,630 55,203 Peas .. .. .. Centals 33,778 33,675 37,600 38,144 Oats .. .. .. „ 1,952 961 1,835 1,013 Fish, frozen .. .. Cwt. 53,029 130,403 43,486 138,906 Sugar of milk .. ..lb. 393,120 10,558 442,064 12,192 Wool .. .. .. „ 9,232,465 313,809 5,992,283 325,002 Tallow .. .. .. Tons 479 10,183 270 6,110 Sausage-casings .. ..lb. 292,221 16,215 215,146 11,720 Hides, pelts and skins — Calf-skins .. ..No. 66,387 23,994 62,461 24,885 Cattle-hides .. .. „ 87,616 139,442 93,877 177,022 Sheep-skins without wool .. ,, 143,054 15,247 52,786 5,969 Sheep-skins with wool .. ,, 6,518 1,863 7,757 1,636 Pumice and sandstone .. Tons 2,995 8,210 2,633 7,220 Gold — Bar, dust ingot, and Oz. 31,186 248,632 40,650 325,746 sheet Dairying machinery. . .. .. , • 15,246 .. 21,018

, , _ , m , , m , Exports to ! Imports from Excess of Imports Year ended 31st December, Total Trade. Canada. ; Canada. over Exports. £(N.Z.) £(N.Z.) £(N.Z.) £(N.Z.) 1933 .. .. .. 1,825,807 560,875 1,264,932 694,057 1934 .. .. .. 2,796,475 697,865 2,098,610 1,400,745 1935 .. .. .. 3,107,600 656,984 2,450,616 1,793,632 1936 .. .. .. •• 4,428,700 1,103,008 3,325,692 2,222,684 1937 .. .. .. .. 6,231,500 1,667,449 4,564,051 . 2,896,602