AN ANALYSIS. OF THE FLOW OF EMPIRE TRADE

Evening Post, Volume CXIV, Issue 18, 21 July 1932, Page 5

AN ANALYSIS. OF THE FLOW OF EMPIRE TRADE

"In a pamphlet op "The Economic Aspects of Empire Tariff Preference," Mr. H. B. Bodwell, M.A., Dip.Soc.Sc, ■of Auckland, includes .some illuminating tables on inter-Empire trade. The tables show (1) the foodstuffs, ..tobacco, and.'raw materials exported by Great Britain; (2) the commodities which are exported from Empire ■, poultries;in excess of the importr demands of Great Britain; (3) manufactured goods exported from Great ..'' Britaitt'in excess of the demands of. the Overseas Empire (4). manufactured goods exported from Great Britain ; in. quantities too small to meet the requirement*, of the Overseas Empire. These figures will no doubt be a basis for deliberations at the Ottawa Conference, which opens to-day. The figures show that the Empire, on .the present basis of trade, is far from, being economically or commercially self-contained. As Mr. Bodweil points out, "Although the resources of the Empire, both primary and secondary, are of vast proportions and ' infinite variety, the Empire supply seldom, if ever, coincides with tho Empire demand, being both redundant ,-andV" inadequate. Therefore, foreign markets and foreign sources of supplies are of vital importance to the econoicid welfare of the Enfpire, and any action.which tends to restrict these must be attended by grave danger."' THis danger'will no doubt be recognised by the Ottawa delegates, as England in particular has been iv- . Testjgating .the position for some months past in an effort to redirect trade to the mutual benefit of the Mother Country and the Dominions. The success of the Ottawa deliberations, it is stated, will depend on the ability of the delegates to dove-tail the requirements of the different Empire countries to a greater extent than has been done up to the present. The following tables show statistically some of tho obstacles to be overcome:—

; :"•■■. ."■ .. ~' ~. ■■■■;: table i. . ' ■ ■■.... Commodities Exported from •Empin Countries in Quantities Too Small to Meet the, Import Demands of U.K.

; ,:■■': .;.'.. ' ' •.■■■• :'. ■■■:-. ■ 'TABLE 11. ,■ ■ , ' ■ Commodillcs which are Exported from Empire Countries In Excess of the Import Demands of the U.K

;■;■-.• ■■'■-.:: ";"-■, ': ','''' -table ill. '■" ;;.■ .■ ; . ..■ . :M»nufactiired Goods Exported from U.K. In Exoew of the Demands of Oversets Empire. ■>. Annul Averts 1924-27 In Millions Sterilnf,

■■.-■ '•.•/.•.-::• ■•■";■; .■: •.- • ■ TABLEIV. -' '"'-....■ Manufactured Goods. Exported from U.K. in Quantities Too Small to Meet Empire Requirements, ',',"„■ Annual Averases 1924-27 in Millions Sterling.

FOODSTUFFS AND TOBACCO. -..;.■•■ . ■'.■■'■ ■'•■■'• Total Export of . Empire ' % Home Production.U.K.'s Total Import. Empire Countries. Deficiency. Deficiency. B«ef : ... 120m. cwts. 16.4m. cwts. ;; 8.1m. cwts. S.3m. cwts. 50% Mutton »pd Lamb .. 5m. . „ 5.Sm. „ 3.8m. „ 2m. ,, 33% Bacon and Hams .. 5.3m. „ 8.1m....,,.. 1.6m...,, 7.om. „ 82% Butter ■■...:'.:". 1.0m. „ 5.7in. „ 2.0m. „ 2.8m. „ 50% Cjeese 1.3m. „ 3.0m v „ . 2.0m. „ ..lm. „ 4% Egg* " ' 20.8m gt. hundreds* 22 2m. gt. hundreds' 5.0m. gt. hundreds 17.2m. gt. hundreds iS% Fruit (citrus) ... Nil £9.8m. (value) . £2.3m. (value). £7.5m. (value) 76% Bananas £3JBm. .. ' £].9m. ., £3.8m. „ fia% Apples 5.5n>. cwti 6.6m. (cwts) 2.8m. cwt». 3^m. cwts. 2°''? Canned Fruit £6.4m. (value) £ 1.5m. (value) £4.9m. (value) <6% . Su"nr 2.5m. „ 37.3m. cwts. lS.2m. cwts. 19.1m.-cwts. •>t% 3Iaire .■.'.'.■ M 34.7m. ,. 8.8m. , 25.9m. ... <3% Winet „ 18m. gals. 4.3m. gals. 13.7m. gals. <6% Tobacco „ l-8m. cwtg. .6m. cwts. 1.2m. cwts. 0,% *Great hundred = 120. "m." in all cases means millions. RAW MATERIALS. Empire % required Deficiency. to be bought Commodity. Total Export from from Foreign U K. Home Production. U.K. '* Total Import. British Countries'. Countries. C6tton (1924-27) Nil 16.9m. centals* 14.7m. centals 2.2m. centals 13% Cotton Seed (1924-27) Nil 560,000 tons 219,000 tons 341,000 toner 61% Timbsr I1924-27) .. (Not available) £4«.6m. (value) £28.3m. (value) £ 18.3m. (value) 39% Iron Ore (1924-28)'.. 9.2m. tons 4.0m. tone ■ 1.6m. tons. 2^4 tons 60% Tin Ore "(1925-28) .. 2,500 tons 68.000 tons 16,000 tow* 52.000 „ /6% Petroleum (crude) .... 43m. gals. 567m. gals. 84m. gals. 483m. arals. Sn% ' ■ " ■ •Oenval = 1001b. :

; . FOODSTUFFS. ;■ ' ■ : ' ' . % to be , . Total Export of Empire Surplus Sold in .Article. Other Empire Over U.K. Other ILK. Hom« Production. ; U.K. Total Imports. Countries. Needs. Markets. Wheat (1925-28) . ... 28m. cwts ■ 101.8m. cwt«.. 167.6rn.cwta. 65.8m. cwts. 39% Oate (WiirW ... ■'47.6m...' ' 8-lm. „ 9.8m, „ 1.7m. „ 2% Rice (195*27) ........ Nil 2.8m. „ 4.12m. „ 42.4m. •„ 94% &.'Ki27) ... Nil ' . 1.5m.,, 5.9m. „ 4.4m. „ 75% TeT(»S >.".... Nil 4.5m. „ ...... 5.0m. „ .5tn. „ 10% i -; -._ ■-■'>. " . " •. ■ j ■.;''■/.■■' ■ ■ : ' ■ . ; ■ f ■ '"; ••■'•■■". v ■' '.." ■'. : • : ' '; ■■ I l '■• RAW MATERIALS. ■,. . " ■ •'::■ : : '.' ; " ' ; -:' ; ; : ■'.- ■■■: : . ' ■■ - ■ ■ % to be . ; .'*~Y' ■■• '■■.'. ' . : .; , ■'-':. . Empire Surplus' .. Sold in Commodity. ■ ■ ■ : - " '■' ■ "'■ ■ ' Tot«il- Export from over U.K. Other UJK. Home Production. .'•;.-•• U.Ki'sTctal. Imports.- British Countries. lueeds. . Markets. Wool ifl92f-2?) "■...«.■.. 1.2m. centals* 8:8m. centals- 135m. centals • 4.4m. centals* 33% J^flSKf :."..... Nil • ;4.3m. ,,: i l«An.' „ 12.2m. „ 74% Rubbir (M2ft-») .,..:. Nil .144,000 tone , 417,000 tons 273,000 tons 65% Hidwiaad Skin* (1923-28) (Notavailable)■•',■ ,£ 12,5m. ■vOtits... . . £22.3m. value '£9.^. (value) 44% ManwnMeOre (1925-28) 675 tons 207,000 tone ' 962,000 tons -• 755,000 tons ■ 78% ChrOmB^-e (1925-2S) .. 206 ... ■ • 17.000' „ . , 182,000. „ 165,000 „. 90% Copper (Ore (1925.38)... 113 „. ' 39,500 „ ' 87,000 „ 47,500 .„ oo% . aSfSffwSs) ..«.■■ «1 »" ;: ■ 03WK».•'■!„/.'.. ■ 242.00U. „ ' 111,000 , 46%. GMft^aS&n ..:■■•'■. Nil- ■"■: 79,000 „ .375,000 ,•,-.■ 296,000 ., • to% pX*KetBdi'ti924 i 27) . Nil ■' ' 238,000'., 329,000 „ 93,000 ., 2S% ;. Nil■■■....■■■.■■•.'•. «M00i- „ - 640,000 M 544,000 ,. 85% •■■■•:■•. ■ ■ ■ . . ; 'Cental = 1001b. . ; :

• • •" •-••• • ■ ■■■:■ • -UiKv-Totar .,.•..,. ■'';.'• Exports. '• Osttoo- Piece Goods ..: -.-«... -132.5 ■. •Woollen Piece Goods . .36\4 Ionian Piece' Goods- ...............«••• ■ ■ 6.5Clty Producte, . . .«-3. , Motor Bicycles/ .•.........'.............••■. ' 2-8-Overseas Empire Imports. 90.6 13.7 . 5.1 ' ■■ ; 1.5 U.K. Surplus Exports. 4.1.9 22.7 .9 1.3 ■ '' : . • %of U.K. Exports to he Sold' in ""Foreign Countries. 31% 62% R6% .17% 47%

■• '■ ' " " \ ' ' \ " ' '■ U.K'.'s Total ■ Overseas Empire .;•■'•'■" Export. ' ■' ; Import. SUk ttd Artificial Piece Goodt, ... M .. 5.3 .'. 20.0 H»t« and. Caps ...;.. 3.7 .., • - 4.n . Boot. M»4.Shoe6 „.....». ffl ■ • O.n Rubber Manufactures ....,.....,.....** ' 8.0' lu;> Chtadcdt. ,,.., "»••• 20-" ... -'I-1', Electrical Machinery ". 3.9 %.'.) Agricultural;Machinery and Implements . 3.0 (>.l Motor Vehicles* .".: 7.5 ' 20.7 U.K. Export Deficiency. 14.7 .3 , 1.1 2.5 1.0 -. 3.0 '3.4 22.2 % of Empire Demand to go to Other Markets. . ..-'■ 73% ' 8% 18% , 24% 9.% 34% , ;>3% 75% U.K.'s Imports. • 17.8 2.9 ■1.9 5;5 12.7 3.1 1.0 5)2