TWELVE MONTHS TRADE.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 11511, 18 February 1903, Page 6

TWELVE MONTHS TRADE.

The official trade returns of the colony fc»*&g the year 1902, which are published in «Cic|| latest "Gazette," are on the whole of satisfactory -obaracter. The vcJuma **M trade last year exceeded that of the Pj* ceding twelve months,' and iters ws*-l general rise in the prices obtained for* « j ported products. The total value *;**£.£s§ ! exports last year was ! crease of £752,163 over ths total Mfflk yl§ la the chief item of exportr-wosM»» ,< || sheepskins—there hut been a value, but most of the other ducts show gratifying increases. . and sheepskins were exported last yMf;Hffl the value of £53,730,439. Compared ***Jg| the total for 1901, this is a decrease £233,243, and wool by itself shows * dine of £344,500, or over 9 per cJe*rl||£ though the quantity of wool exported greater. Frown meat, which comes on the liit of exports, shows an fcwrsase £465,000, due partly to heavier and partly to better prices. value of last year's frozen nsat «fc> port was £2.718,799. Gold, comes next In value, Is crWa *J/ .'igj with an increase of nearly £198.000, >?* '•.>{**» which Auckland contributes £26,000,, SJJ* ' WL Dunedin no less tian £156,000. Tb* #** l.f-J| port of butter has increased by £324,000, .J| but cheese shows a fafling-off of £75,00* Tallow exports ara heavier by * 19^08 but the most notable increas#> export of iwmp, which has risen **||J»| £196,728 in 1901, to £634,499 last >'**sfflß| an mc«aiie of 173 per cent. J ** U ss with all th* other product* T^,s||s|H

1B increase, excepting gold, the result is due to improvement in the prices obtained a, well as to heavier shipments. For agricultural products the export trade during the past year has not been so successful, grain and grain stuffs showing a decline from £1,336,398 in 1901 to £850,734 in 1902. The export of timber also shows a falling off, from £294,836 to £208,252. Kauri gum and coal, on the other hand, are tach credited with an increase. The imports for the year 1902 totalled £11,323,480, which represents a decline of £492,977. Deducting £95,814, the decrease in the amount of specie imported, file shrinkage in imports of merchandise for tlie year stands at £397,163. The falling off has been greatest Ot the Port of Lyttelton, where imports declined last year from £2,072,186 to £1,745,273. Dunedin also shows a decrease in the total value of importa for the year, while Wellington and Auckland, on the other hand, have each increased their import trade.