BRITAIN'S TRADE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 297, 15 December 1936, Page 6

BRITAIN'S TRADE.

: j Trade returns from our biggest customer, | Great Britain, have always a special interest for New Zealand. The November figures, published to-day, follow out the recent trend towards expansion. Not only is the internal trade making definite progress, as shown in figures of retail trade and building returns, but the total of exports and imports show continued expansion. World trade has increased, and Britain is obviously getting a full share of the increase. There has, however, been a check to the advance in exports, which at £38,400,000 is over £.3,000,000 less than in October, and £1,000,000 lower than in November-, 1935. The so-called adverse balance, that is, the excess of imports over total exports, is at the highest level that has been registered for many years. Attention has been given in recent months by English economists and financiers to the steady extension of this margin, but the consensus of opinion has been that the general position is sound enough in view of the greatly increased receipts from shipping, tourists and interest on international loans. One cause in the increased difference in the balance is the extent of armament manufacture in Great |Britain in an attempt to make up the leeway I following the intensive efforts of other nations. This has had the effect of checking export in many directions. j