Record Year For Export Earnings

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30498, 21 July 1964, Page 11

Record Year For Export Earnings

(New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, July 20. The value of New Zealand’s exports for the trade year, ended June 30, has been provisionally estimated at £368 million, compared with £308.7 million for the preceding year. It is the highest ever recorded, says the Government statistician, Mr J. V. T. Baker.

The major contributor to* export earnings in the latest year was wool, with a value of £135.6 million. Meat and meat preparations came next, accounting for £91.6 million, followed by butter (£54.7 million), cheese (£17.5 million), hides and skins (£14.8 million), and sausage casings (£6.0 million). Of the principal products, wool showed, on a value basis, the most growth (29.6 per cent) compared with the preceding year. Increases in other major commodities were: hides and skins, 23.6 per cent: butter. 20.6: sausage casings, 16.7: meat and meat preparations, 8.4. Returns for cheese decreased by 3.4 per cent. Countries to show the greatest increases in value of goods received were Belgium <39.7 per cent), the Netherlands (38.3), and West Germany (32.3). A 20.8 per cent increase was recorded for the United Kingdom, which received goods valued at £172.1 million, compared with £142.5 million for the year ended June. 1963.

Exports to the United States were up 2.7 per cent in value—£s3.4 million as compared to £52.0 million. The only decrease in value of exports was to Canadadown 2.3 per cent from £4.3 million to £4.4 million. All figures are provisional.