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The following table, No. XIII, shows the main items of export to the United States of America for the last four years : —

Table XIII.—Principal Exports to the United States of America.

For only two items do the 1938 figures show any advance over the 1937 figures. These are for grass and clover seeds and for butter. All the other principal items have dropped in value, the falls being as follows: Wool, £2,112,870; sheep-skins without wool, £686,361 ; rabbit-skins, £196,625 ; sheepskins with wool, £134,254 ; sausage-casings, £86,349 ; calf-skins, £56,698. TRADE WITH BRITISH WEST INDIES. The figures for the trade between New Zealand and the British West Indies for the last six years are set out in Table XIV below :—

Table XIV.—Total Trade with British West Indies.

Compared with 1937, the 1938 figures show falls in both exports and imports, exports decreasing by £17,662 and imports by £8,120. Imports from the British West Indies comprised chiefly oranges, £13,854 (£12,786); grapefruit, £1,188 (£1 379) cocoa-beans, £7,514 (£11,187); rum, £8,867 (£15,269); asphalt and bitumen, £2,295 (£2,021) ; and spices, £1,420 (£2,836). Kingston, Jamaica, is the cbief shipping port for this trade. Butter accounts for over 90 per cent, of our exports to the British \\ est Indies, as is shown in Table XV, which gives the principal items of export for the past four years

Table XV. —Principal Exports to British West Indies.

2—H. 44.

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Commodity. 1935. 1936. 1937. 1938. £(N.Z.) £(N.Z.) £(N.Z.) £(N.Z.) Wool 302,476 660,777 2,281,082 168,212 Tallow •• •• •• 339,858 77,993 12,583 2,759 Calf-skins .. •• •• 56,931 86,240 180,123 123,425 Cattle-hides 32,766 30,567 65,063 29,933 Rabbit-skins 348,784 642,932 399,925 203,300 Sheep-skins with wool .. •• 41,414 114,883 1.86,825 51,571 Sheep-skins without wool .. .. •• 528,778 814,588 1,167,018 480,657 Sausage-casings .. ■■ •• •• 345,279 178,906 304,011 217,662 Grass and clover seeds .. .. •• 44,377 61,056 61,948 67,303 Butter ■■ 226,020 102,353 11,694 17,501 Kauri-gum.. .. .. •• •• 25,325 22,462 48,095 12,360

Exports to British Imports from Excess of Exports Year ended 31st December, Total Trade. West Indies British West Indies. over Imports. £(N.Z.) £(N.Z.) £(N.Z.) £(N.Z.) 1933 .. 37,021 20,864 16,157 4,707 1934 " .. .. 69,911 42,228 27,683 14,545 1935 .. .. 109,973 53,966 56,007 2,041 1936 .. .. .. 93,773 48,796 44,977 3,819* 1937 .. 105,591 54,942 50,649 4,293 1938 " .. .. 79,809 37,280 42,529 5,249* * Excess of imports over exports.

CommoditV. 1935. 1936. ! 1937. 1938. I I £(N.Z.) £(N.Z.) £(N.Z.) £(N.Z.) 1wtnT . .. 50,406 45,866 52,353 33,759 Cheese " " " •• 300 213 394 873 wieese .. 4 g()6 Irozen meat .. •• •• •• > 7Q1 Dried and condensed milk . . • • • • 460 o Tillnw •• ■■ 1> 335 806 7 ? " 250 1,000 Apples