$4459 million on imports

Press, 11 August 1980, Page 4

$4459 million on imports

PA Wellington New Zealand private importers are expected to spend $4459 million on overseas purchases this year. The Government Statistician (Dr J. H. Darwin) said yesterday that payments for private . imports for the 12 months" ending December 1980, are’ projected to be up by 22.1 per cent on the actual payments. of $3652 million for the 1979 calendar year.

Among other points noted by Dr Darwin are a 17 per cent decline in orders by major New Zealand private importers of textiles, clothing, and footwear during the June, 1980, quarter, and an increase of 14 per cent in orders for food, beverages, and tobacco.

Over all, orders placed overseas (excluding those

for mineral fuels) by major private importers during the quarter were $462 million compared with $470 million in the same quarter last year.

Other groups apart from textiles, clothing, and footwear to show a decline were iron, steel, and non-ferrous metals (down 16 per cent) and chemicals, manufactured fertilisers,' arid phaririaceuticals (down 10 per cent). There was a 26 per cent increase in orders for crude materials.

Dr Darwin says projections indicate private import payments will average $384 million a month from July to September ($324 million last year) and $370 million a month from October to December ($339 million). Private import payments for June, .1980, were .$387 million.