FEWER MOTORS

Dominion, Volume 25, Issue 120, 15 February 1932, Page 8

FEWER MOTORS

British Cars Predominate FALL OF £1,900,102 Imports for Past Year An analysis of motor vehicle imports into New Zealand during 1931 shows a decrease of nearly £2,000,000 in value as compared with the total for 1930. The Comptroller of Customs has issued a return showing the total value of ear, truck, and chassis imports at £578,038, as against £2,478,140 in 1930, a difference of £1,900,102. The figures are computed from the current domestic values ip the country of export, plus 10 per cent. The decline has naturally resulted in a huge decrease in the benefit to the Consolidated Fund from duties. Motor importers are already considering approaching the Government with the suggestion that imports could be given an impetus if the duties were reduced. It is contended that increased imports at lower tariffs might yield more revenue to the Government than the existing small import rate at high duty schedules. —- The statistics show also that numerically there was a very large decrease, the total for last year being 4014, which is less than a quarter of the number brought into the Dominion in the previous year, when 17,363 vehicles were imported. Following is an analysis of the dutiable value of motor imports in 1931:—

Details of Car Imports. The total number of cars and car chassis imported from all sources was 3388, compared with 14,314 in the preceding 12 months, a decrease of approximately 74 per cent. Cars and car chassis from the United Kingdom numbered 2414, a decrease of 817 compared with the total for 1930, when 3231 British passenger vehicles imported. In 1929 the figure was 4064, while there were 2364 in 1928. Numerically, British cars headed the list last year by a considerable margin. The Canadian total was 482, while there were 475 from the United. States, 13 from Italy, two from France, and one each from Belgium and Germany. In 1930 the imports of cars from Canada were by far. the largest, there being 8025, compared with 32'31 from the United Kingdom and 3047 from the United States. , Following are the details of the car imports for the past three years:—

Other Motor Vehicles. A total of 626 lorries, trucks, vans, buses and commercial chassis was imported in 1931, against 3049. or nearly five times as many, in 1930. The total for 1929 was a record, there being 5795 commercial types brought into the Dominion. Of last year’s total the greatest number came from the United States, which supplied 262, valued at £36,053. There were 213, representing £46,431-, from the United Kingdom, 156, costing £13,548, from Canada, and one, set down at £242, from Germany. The position was vastly different in 1930, when Canada accounted for 2038, or about 66 per cent, of the total of 3049 commercial types. In that year, also, 730 commercial vehicles were imported from the United States, and only 272 from the United Kingdom. In addition, there were six from Belgium, two from Germany, and one from France. Following are details of the commercial vehicles Imported during the noct Hirno vnnrsr—-

5.795 3,049 620 Comparatively, the smallest decrease has occurred in United Kingdom products, which dropped from 272 in 1930 to 213 last year. The greatest difference is apparent in the Canadian imports, which fell from 203 S to 156, a difference of 1882. Considering the great falling-off in the importation of motor vehicles generally, interest has been very well maintained in United Kingdom products, which have declined to a comparatively small extent.

United Kingdon £ United States Canada Others £ £ £ Cars 272,285 50,975 44,332 3,266 Car chassis 92,507 2,696 5,973 731 Commercial vehicles . 503 593 2,813 !«■!»» Commercial chassis >> 45,868 35,460 10,735 242 411,223 08,724 63,853 4,230

1920. 1930. 1931. United States ... . 8,529 3.047 475 Canada . 10,740 8,025 482 United Kingdom . . 4,064 3,231 2,414 France 4 Italy 8 13 Belgium 16 3 1 Germany 1 2 1 23.361 14,314 3,388

past three yearg:— 1929. 1930. 1931. United States 2,995 730 262 Canada 2,273 2,038 150 United Kingdom , 519 272 213 France ; 1 \ - — Belgium s 6 — Germany — - 1