Growing N.Z. Exports Of Pulp And Paper

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28920, 13 June 1959, Page 7

Growing N.Z. Exports Of Pulp And Paper

New Zealand is quickly changing from a net importer to a net exporter of paper, cardboard and of wood pulp, the raw material for these products. In 1954 New Zealand produced rather less than half her total requirements of paper and cardboard, the balance being imported. In 1958, according to figures contained in the' latest Abstract of Statistics, New Zealand’s imports of paper and board were almost balanced in volume by her exports of these products. Exports of pulp have consistently exceded imports since 1954, but the ratio of exports to imports has risen from less than four to one in 1954 to nearly nine to one in 1958.

In 1954, the balance of payments on trade in these products was a deficit of £s.lm; the deficit had been reduced last year to £l.4m. Over the same period New Zealand consumption of paper and

board rose nearly 40 per cent., according to trade sources. Imports of paper and board show a big decline in quantity from the peak 1955 figure, but the total cost of these imports has declined comparatively little. The average price of paper imports has risen from £9B 10s a ton to £144 a ton in 1958. This reflects not only higher prices for the various grades of paper, but also a change from less expensive (e.g. newsprint) to more expensive (e.g. printing) paper. New Zealand’s exports are mainly of newsprint, which accounts for the comparatively low value of £64 a ton in 1958—less than half the value of the imports. Of the 1958 exports, more than 41,000 tons were newsprint, and the New Zealand “current domestic value” of the newsprint was £63 a ton. The paperboard exported totalled just over 1000 tons, and was valued at £73 16s a ton.

Details of New Zealand’s trade in pulp, paper and board in the last five years are given in the following tables:—

Pulp Paper and Board Imports Exports Imports Exports 000 tons 000 tons 000 tons 000 tons 1954 .. .. 5.3 19.6 57.7 nil 1955 .. .. 5.5 27.3 75.1 1.6 1956. .. .. 3.6 47 4 58.7 27.8 1957 .. .. 6.8 65.0 54.1 38.8 1958 .. .. 7.8 69.0 46.2 45.3 Pulp Paper and Board Imports Exports Imports Exports £000 £000 £000 £000 1954 .. .. 253 816 5,684 nil 19p5 .. .. 256 1.137 7,583 67 1956 .. .. 196 1,990 6,239 1.705 1957 .. .. 408 2,635 6,748 2,457 1958 .. .. 352 2,731 6,665 2,905