OVERSEAS TRADE

Dominion, Volume 36, Issue 270, 10 August 1943, Page 4

OVERSEAS TRADE

Production Year Figures IMPORTS A RECORD imports for the production year ended June 30 totalled £71,772,000, an increase of over £20,000,000 compared with the precedin'- 12 months, and resulted in an unfavourable trade balance for the first time since 1930. For the month of June and for the six months of the current year there are also excesses of imports. The figures for June released yester day by the Customs Department show exports at £4,555,000, compared with £11,026.000 in June, 1942, a decrease of £6.471,000. Imports totalled £7,709.000, compared with £5,702,(W0 in June, 1942, an increase of £2,00<,000, resulting in an excess of imports for the month of £3.154.000. against a favourable bfllnncc of £5,324,000 in June, 194--. Production Year Figures.

For the twelve months of the production year, which ended on June JO, exports’ totalled £71,302,000, compared with £74,030,000 for the preceding year, a decrease of £2,737,000, but, with the exception of that year, were the highest on record. Imports reached the record high level of £71,772.000, an increase of £20,394.000 on the, figure for the precedin''’ year. This huge increase in imports led to an unfavourable trade balance for the vear of £470,000, compared with a favourable balance of £22,601,000 in the preceding year. Export and import values for the past ten production years compare as follows :—

For the first six months of 1943 exports totalled £33,644,000, against £43,217,000 for the same period ot 1942, a decrease of £9.573,000. Imports for the six months were £42,370,000, compared’with £24,268.000. an increase ot no less than £18,102.000, leaving an unfavourable trade balance of £8,726 000, against a favourable balance of ±lO,949 000 for the first six months of IJ4-.. Following is a comparison of export and import values for the first six months of the last five' years:

•Excess of imports,

All values, which are expressed in New Zealand currency, are for commodities only, specie being excluded.

12 mos. ended Exports Imports. Excess o£ exports. £(N.Z.) ,7 une 30. £(N.Z.) £(N.Z.) 1943 71,302,000 71,772.900 *470,000 1042 74,039,000 51,378,000 22,661,000 1941 65.766,000 46,185,000 19,-581,000 1940 65,859.000 46,070.000 19,789,000 1939 57,891,000 56,-500,000 1,391,000 1938 61,920,000 57.543.000 4,377,000 14,545,000 1937 04,621.000 50,070.000 1930 53,059.000 39,459,000 14,200.000 1935 4-2,954.00!) 34,302.000 8.652,000 193-1 .. • 49.142.000 26,703.000 22,439,000 •Excess of imports.

Six mos. ended Excess of Exports. Imports. exports. £(N.Z.) J une 30. £(N.Z.) £(N.Z.) 1943 .•• 33,644,000 42.370.000 *8.726,(KX) 194’2 43.217,000 24,268. (KO 18,940,0(H) 1941 ... 36,657.ooo 22,057,000 14,600,000 1940 .. • 44.632.000 24.S70.000 19.762,000 1939 • •. 3(i.822.01X) 28,187.000 8.635.000,