CARPET WOOL IMPORTS

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31231, 1 December 1966, Page 25

CARPET WOOL IMPORTS

N.Z. Share Of U.S. Market

American carpet wool imports from New Zealand rose 19 per cent for the first nine months of this year compared with the same period last year. New Zealand’s share of this market rose from 43 to 45 per cent. The other major supplier, Argentina, increased its market share from 29 to 30 per cent. The American Wool Bureau, the United States branch of the International Wool Secretariat, reports that dutyfree carpet wool imports from New Zealand to September this year were up 6,792,0001 b (clean) to 42,448,0001 b. Total imports were up 14 per cent to 94 million lb.

Total imports of dutiable apparel wools increased 8 per cent on last year, but the monthly trend has been declining since June. The three I.W.S. countries supplied 67 per cent of this market in the following proportions: Australia 39, New Zealand 16, and South Africa 12. Australian imports (52 million lb) were down 2 per cent and New Zealand’s (21 million lb) up 26 per cent. South African imports were stable at 16 million lb. Combined imports from Argentina and Uruguay at 35 million lb were 26 per cent of total imports, compared with 25 per cent last year.

The shift to coarser wools continued. Wools grading “finer than 58’s” accounted for 63.5 per cent, compared with 65.1 per cent of last year’s imports.