TRADE BALANCE

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 29, 4 February 1927, Page 10

TRADE BALANCE

STATISTICIAN'S REPORT :

REDUCED VALUE OF EXPORTS

WHERE THIS PRODUCE GOJ»S

Preliminary trade figures given by "' :'': the Government Statistician show that '•!"* exports for the year ended 31st Decem- """"' bor, 1920, amounted to £45,275,575, and /?"'' imports for the same period to £49,. "'""^' 889,563, leaving an excess of imports -.^ of £4,613,988. Fignres for t? - prcvi- ■,<■- ous year were: Exports, £55 262 27"- z ' imports, £52,456,407; balance in 'fay'- J**^ our of exports, £2,805,865. It is cvi- "-'~' dent, therefore, that the return from ex- --"^ ports during 1926 was £9,986,697 less ;""~J than in 1925. Although imports have ' *•"" not shown a corresponding drop, the -Tl 1926 figure is nevertheless £2,566,844 ;"'-" lower than that for the previous year. '■■"• It, is worthy of note that imports for T; the December quarter of.- 1926 are •■"' -*:'- ---£1,737,405 less than during the cor- r responding quarter of 1925. ' ;"; "■

LOWER PRICES. :,'■■ The shrinkage in exports is attribut- •- --■• able to lower prices, especial in the ■ - wool trade. The return from wool ex- < ~-~ ported during 1926 was £11,830,188 as " ■ compared with £17,738,738 in 1925 a •T" drop of nearly £6,000,000. In compar- ' ' -'• J^t&H" 68 ' llowe ™r, itis found ■»>-, io2r + t' I niore lmles were shipped in :•■" 1926 than during the previous year. :'" ■" Declines are also evident in the follow- "--■■> nig mam Hems (figures for 1925 in. --■ = parentheses) :—Butter, £8 695 197 § IW\32); frozen beef, dsss'/oi .:, >£r*7?s\ frozell lamb > £5,503,463 : ' (£6,761,800); frozen mutton, £2122- - - 099 (£3,069,763); sheepskins, £lW- ' '■< ■■ 2/3 (£1,989.289);. hides, £557,195 • • (£702,236). The principal increases *..:.; occurred in: Cheese, £5.939,359 (£5,.:..-'. 800,808); sausage-casings, £780,811 --.-■;■ (£675,548). . ' _. In the case of imports the principal increases are evident in:—Motor spirit, n.e.i., £2,417,000 (£1,840,552); flour £421,320 (£124,229); phosphates £430,539 (£359,352); newsprint' £415,714 (£367,878); telephones and " accessories, £284,306 (£119,875): seeds, £256,077 (£202,242). The value of motor-vehicles imported duiiug the year shows a decline from £4,146,433-■« to £3,632,277, although the number imported (22,779) was 449 in excess of that for the previous year. Other ■■ - noteworthy decreases were recorded, in: "" Wheat, £603,195 (£798.090); sugar, £1,150,592 (£1,250,343); tobacco • £892,174 (£959,779); whisky, £643,-----546 (£734,111); cotton piece-goods, £2,013,280 (£2,483,778); silks, etc. " £712,508 (£539,297); gasolene, £116-,- '■ ■' '790 (£337,303); benzine, £117,977- ""' (£171,827); railway and tramway "-"■■'" plant, £265,496 (£531,170); leather, -:~"-'" £283,806' (£345,991)'; timber, other'"-"" than 'sawn, £146,677 (£449,511); "^ '*' motor tires and tutics, £928,466 (£l,-'' ir'-" 148,075). ' * . „•.;;:: • WHO BUYS THE PRODUCE? • * In considering the direction of tha Dominion's trade it is seen thct British countries accounted for exports to the value of £39,526,924, representing 87.30 per cent, of the total, an advance of 1.17 per cent, over the previous year. .'.;.•• Imports of British origin were valued .. - 1 at £34,065,656, equal to 68.28 of tha total, as against 72.95 in 1925.

The United Kingdom took exports. ~ valued at £35,102,233, representing -.-•■"• ■ 77.53 of the total, as compared with >■-- - 79.76 per cent, in: 1925. The United .-. States received 8.43 per cent, of ' the -.;.,: total, which is 0.56 greater than ia 11-.C 1925. Australia's share rose consider- ;-:: ably, from 4.53 to 6.75. The percentages '".:-• of the Dominion's produce which went •>*■• to other export customers of import- -•■■■■• ance are as follows (1925 percentages -■' in parentheses): Canada, 1.90 (0.77); France, 1.50 (1.07); Germany, 0.80 *:-T. (2,92); Belgium, 0.37 (0.35); Japan, -.-' 0.36 (0.42); Fiji, 0.33 (0.24). The United Kingdom furnished im-^ "*' ports (according to country of origin) ■ ■>■. to the value of £22,752,622, or 45.60. .." of the total. As compared with the"> — previous year this percentage repre-" ■'-" scuts a drop of 3.08 per cent. Imports'- s"' from the United States increased from 16.94 to 20.05 per cent. ' The percentages which other suppliers of importance furnished to the' Dominion dur- " ' ing the year are as follow (1925 per--'"' 1 centages in parentheses): Australia,' ". 9.27 (9.99); Canada, 6.88 (7.45); In- , ilia, 1.85 (1.74); Fiji, 1.79 (2.36); Cey- . „ lon, 1.72 (1.62); France, 1.63 (1.75);. • Germany, 1.35 (0.9.j),• Belgium, 0.79 " J (0.84); Switzerland, 0.77 (0.84); 3feth-7<' • .erlands, 0.C5 (0.52); Sweden, 0.64- . (0.59); Italy," 0.62 (0.61). „.". ,