Less wool to Australia

Press, 26 January 1988, Page 21

Less wool to Australia

PA Wellington Australia is buying more semi-processed wool products and fewer finished products from New Zealand, Wool Board figures show.

The board says provisional 1986-87 figures show a $22.5 million decrease in total value of exports beyond the raw wool stage to Australia, from $171.7 million in 1985-86 to $149.2 million in 1986-87.

While Australia remains the principal destination for New Zealand woollen products, its share of total woollen product exports has declined from 75.5 per cent to 68.8 per cent. Figures provided by the Statistics Department, based on June to June years, show significant decreases in Australia’s purchases of most finished products between 1985-86 and 1986-87:

All carpet 27.7 per cent; tufted carpet 27.9 per cent; woven carpet 26.9 per cent; knotted carpets and rugs 24.8 per cent; synthetic carpet and rugs 28.8 per cent; knitted fabric 76.8 per cent; woollen knitwear 25.2 per cent.

But in the same period semi-processed wool pro-

ducts exports to Australia have increased:

Raw (woolly) sheep skins 113.9 per cent; wool waste, such as sweepings and re-used wool, 29.5 per cent; carded or combed wool 284.1 per cent; wool tops 38.2 per cent. The export of raw (woolly) sheepskins increased from 1559 to 3335, but the number of processed sheepskins sent to Australia dropped from 227,245 to 98,796.

France also increased imports of raw (woolly) sheepskins in that period, by 96.1 per cent from 468,770 to 919,112. Exports to India of wool waste jumped 512.3 per cent in that period. Exports in 1985-86 were 58,356 kg and increased to 357,285 kg, according to the 1986-87 provisional figures (June to June). Total value of raw wool and wool products exports in 1986-87 was $1822 million, an 18 per cent increase on the 1985-86 value of $1539 million.

Exports increased to the United States, Japan, Hong Kong, France, Britain, and China. Fewer woollen products were exported to Canada, Italy and the A.S.E.A.N. region.