TRADE BALANCE

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 67, 21 March 1933, Page 10

TRADE BALANCE

ftUSTRALIA-NEW ZEALAND

N(EED FOR ADJUSTMENTS

! "Evening Post," March 21. ! T!ie commercial importance of the visit of r(n Australian delegation to New Zealand Si with Senator Massy Greene at its heaiL cannot be over-estimated. It will be i feadily admitted that the present trade rela lions between the Commonwealth and the tDominion are susceptible to considerable ' improvement, to the advantage ot botr£ countries. As matters stand today Australia has a substantial credit balance on Irade with New Zealand. The posi- i tion December.3l last was as' follows: — j 12 months, 1932. £ Imports of Australian products by^New Zealand 2,681,393 Exports of New Zealand produfcis to Australia 1,MG,158 Trac'le1 balance against New Zealand £1,535,235 Thlese returns are for values of products of the country of origin, and, therefore, exclude re-exports," and imports from othe i-. countries than Australia and New Zeal and yet passing through either of theni. Trie, principal New Zealand imports frofrt Australia .have been abstracted from Custtoms returns, and for the twelve months in review the value of those from Australia and those from all other countries!, including Australia in the total, were as ijoßows:— . . . From Total Articles. Australia. Imports. ; ■ £ £ Cor/feetionery 36,7-14 64,023 Sugbr 8,454 013,218 Torjaeco and cigarettes . 137,077 .575,765 Ho;jdery 40,535 339,013 Ap barel 20,277 816,030 Foiibwear 35,604 414,041 Ha is aDd caps 6,850 142,196 Dr.lpery ..-. 6,895 271,467 Cotton, linen, canvas, pieces 5,833 1.371,979 Siljb piece 21,498 677,419 Patints, varnishes 36.605 154,834 - Iron and steel 54,757 324,463 Fefacing wire 24,420 139,313 Hardware 20,484 318,837 F;lrm machinery 27,865 249,950 ■ Electrical apparatus ... 55,330 075,239 Vrireless apparatus .... 48,846 201,453 leather 41,980 142,912 ISmber 26,001 73,543 Cfiass and glassware ... 22,051 137,714 {Australia also contributes to New Zealand imports of books, stationery, motor tjres and parts, and fancy goods. For the twelve months of 1932 imports eff fruit and vegetables from Australia have not yet been officially published, but tihose for 1931 were as follows:— £ Canned apricots ..*.... 16,061 Canned peaches , 42^725 Canned pears/ ....«,... 1,258 Canned other fruits .-..-.>»-*.•..... 291 I?ried apples "..*..-.-».>■... 584 - Dried apricots ........>.. 2 207 -.Currants ~».,.......... 39,674 Peaches ■ 1^67 l'runes «,-....•.-.,...■.,-.-.•... -9,703 Kaisms 124,758 Jciananas 729 - Cherries ...*!!. 2 456 .grapes ._ ... 4 ; 06S Citrus fruits ..>-.... 23,972 3'assion fruit ...»•.... .-- 2604 - | ea" , .........!!'. 'ioo . Emeapples 0,055 iatone fruits ...-, 2183 TJomatoes and other 168 -. flruit pulp ]_] o 144 " 3'egetables ""!.'" 26^334 : Bruit juice ...-. 1 2,085 . Australia's citrus fruit export to New - .Zealand was a valuable market to producers, and.it also met the New Zealand •_ djemand for an article of diet which is riow recognised as a necessity in the modern food scale, especially oranges for ._■ infants. The importation of citrus fruits torn Australia has been prohibited for the fear of introducing the fruit fly. AMERICAN COMPETITION. In its dried and canned fruits Australia formerly had a very strong' competi- - jtor m California, but latest returns show -Australia to be well to the fore in this aparket. South Africa made a bold bid {tor some portion of the trade in dried trrmts, also in jams, but it is no longer a - conspicuous seller of these goods in the . New Zealand market. The United States supplied more than ■ Rouble the value of the grapes imported ipto New Zealand in 1931, but its contribution of lemons was but £8215 (540,4601b), compared with Australia's • shipments to New Zealand of the value ju£ £9674 (1,146,5371b). AUSTRALIAN IMPORTS. In considering the trade balance be-fe-een Australia and New Zealand the socalled "invisible exports" of New Zealand to Australia as representing dividends and interest and similar payments received from Australia and the expenditure of - Australian tourists in New Zealand must not be ignored. • They are difficult to ascer-. tain, but must be far from negligible. Then there are the fish and timber es- - ports from New Zealand to Australia. These are relatively large compared with other exports. For 1931 (the latest figures available) they were as follows:— Value. £ Fish and products 32,207 ; Timber . 7 .. 161,686 / Total £193,893 Australia is also a buyer of New Zealand -wool and wooled sheepskins, and for 1931 this business was worth £159,577 to New Zealand. , . A LOST TRADE. Formerly New Zealand did a very useful butter trade with Australia. This was in the'interests of Australian consumers .as well as in those of the New Zealand ; producer, for the export relieved the pres- - sure on the domestic market and it met - the case of the Australian consumer in time of shortage of local supplies. Exports - of butter to Australia were somewhat - . erratic, but they were of assistance to the New Zealand industry and in recent years, until they were stopped by the imposition of a duty of 6d per lb, were as follows:— Year.. Boses. 1924 ...•.-..-.- 101,616 1925 831 -1926 •. 480 1927 ;..-.- 157,084 1928 ....... 118.384 ■ 1929 Nil Reporting for the year 1929, the New Zealand Dairy Board stated, "The Australian market is still closed to New Zealand dairy produce by reason' of the high tariff existing." That trade (including ' "■ Borne cheese of the highest quality) is now .. gone, it seems, for good.