TRADE WITH AMERICA

Evening Post, Volume CXXII, Issue 32, 6 August 1936, Page 12

TRADE WITH AMERICA

IMPORTS ANALYSED

SIX MONTHS' BUSINESS

"Evening Post," August (>, Direct trade of; the United States

V r with New Zealand represents consider- '• ably over 5 per cent, of total American .trade with the world. The indirect • trade is largely exports of New Zea- ;' land produce by way of the United - Kingdom, but exactly how much it '...'. amounts to is not ascertainable. / ■ : Since 1933, trade between the two

countries has expanded markedly in both directions. The United States, ■' next to: the United ■Kingdom, is the J: chief source of imports into New Zealand. 11l 1935, one-eighth of the total imports ; orginated in America. This compares with one-seventh in 1932. .<■ Imports of non-metallic minerals, . largely and its products, made up approximately 18 per cent, of the American total in the first six months5; of 1936, whereas in the year 1932 they constituted 5" per cent..: of the • total. 1n.1932, petrol alone accounted for one-third; of'total imports from the . United States. Othersources of supply of these'products,'notably-the Dutch East Indies .arid Russia, have in recent years madef great gains in the New Zealandf : market, except in the; case of lubricating voil.'j ;.: : ' \ ■ MOTOR VEHICLE IMPORTS.

Today-the most, important commodity imported;'from .the United; States is '.:■' motor vehicles;'*ln■the'first six months ofthis year the value of such imports "'; was £532,874,-New Zealand:, currency, an ' increase.; of:■> 31.5 '■': per -cent.: on the corresponding' period: of -the1 previous! , year. .SJotor 'vehicles,';together';with •parts, accounted' for' 22.5' per: cent, of' imports in the first half of 1936. As might be expected, radios and radio equipment is the third ranking import from America. However, its - leadership over tobacco and tobacco 'manufacture is very slender, the respective totals for the first six months ■ of the.present year being £128,467 and £127,463. For both, of these imports, the Dominion is a long-established and important market to the United States. IMPORTS FROM THE UNITED STATES. Commodity imports in New Zealand currency in the:first six months of 1936, are listed hereunder:— :,'■'■. , 6mos., 6raos., • InCommodlty. 1935. . 1936. crease. Talue £J.'.Z. £K.Z. p.c. ■ Motor vehicles ..I. 404,961 532,874 31.5 ■Gasoline. ........ 119,274 .271,112 127.2 j Kadio and^eQulp- :- ment '. 90,101 128,467. 29.G 'Cigarettes' and- t6- ---■; . bacco ........ 144,004 127,463 '11,3 Lubricating oil 80,901 98,696.''.',22.0! ' Tractors and parts 50,616 92,509 '82.7 . Cinema film- :.v:. .$9,557' 89.100 25.1 ; Crude petroleum .:l 90.892 . 85,802. ■ ;.*5.6 Electrical ■ ...(not •• ■-■■' ■'■'-- '..-'' radio) 54,98(5 79,21!) 44.0 ' Sulphur ......... 35,005 55,140 57.4 : Hardware, ....... 27,066 42,298- 56.2 . Motor parts 29,611 41,553 40.3 j; Flour 32,134 , '35,326 9.9 "Machinery ...... 32,014 34,393 7.4 ;■• Fresh .fruits ..... 35,461 29,645 ,'. *8.4 tools .. 20.764. 29,206: .40.6 Cardboard ;, 21,499 .27,544 28.1 '. 'Sausage casings .. 17,034 26,068 53.0 i Other > .......... ,047.544;:: .723,433 V 11.7 '. Total .... £2,012,424 £2,549,848 26.6 ~ ■ ■ ' 'Decrease. ' ...'.. The above values are expressed in New Zealand currency and represent the cost in the United States, plus 10 per cent. INDIRECT EXPORTS. ;. v^Jy le. a well-known, fact that the United-States is the second largest ...supplier, of goods,, to New Zealand. c^ c J n?. y be few who realise that the States is likewise the^DominAion's next to best customer. ?;?■ '1n;i935, over 5 per cent, of' New Za- « land, exports were shipped to fihc .United States, and this proportion does not;take into 'consideration the considerable 'volume of exports which indirectly found their, way to America through the; United Kingdom. In the first six months of 1936, the value of '■■'i^i&^S 0*'8' t? the United States was ;£ 1,556,448, an increase of 13.3 per cent. j>n that for . the corresponding period of the previous year. , Slightly less than two-thirds of New Zealand exports to- the United States m>the first six months of 1936 were animal products other than wool. There was considerably less butter, frozen meats, sausage casings, and tallow, shipped to America this year, but ilarger quantities of calfskins, cattle .hides, rabbitskins, sheepskins with wool, greasy, wool,.and pelts, r Rabbitskins accounted-* for almost 10 per cent, of the total in the first half •of 1936, and greasy wool 26 per cent. WOOL AND SKINS TRADE. [■- Sheep and: lamb skins, for which -New-Zealand is a relatively important ; source of supply; constituted nearly -one-third of the total. The only statistics procurable which relate to New Zealand s indirect trade with the United States are those showing wool imports into America. These are available only'in pounds weight. In 1935 there were 3,648,9871b of New Zealand, wool indirectly shipped to the' United States, mostly through Great Britain. /The following table shows"! the kinds.and quantities of New Zea-■! Jan? wool.:which entered the United States through Canada and the United Kingdom:^ • •• . ; ■-_,•.■■•- Country. Carpet^. Clothing. Combing,-". Total, .:■■■'■ ■■: :: ib.'.'.- ib. ■:.• ib. -. ■:-';.' ib TT.K. 1,307,517 ■ 546,643 1,398,629 3,252 789 ■Canada 12r,463 /'; 126,710 148,025::.,396,198 j Total 1,428,980 ;673,353 1,546,651 : 3,648,987 .'NEW ZEALAND DIRECT EXPORTS TO liX • . BXITED STATES.

The apparent trade balance in favour of the United States, which for the first. six- months ,of; 1936 was but £993 400 New Zealand currency, or in the ratio Dt 2 New Zealand to 3 United States, would be substantially reduced were such indirect shipments of wool, butter,- skins, pelts, and other produce taken into account.

'.Commodity. First Half First Half ; ■ . ' 1935. 1936. In-. '•"'■.• ■ . ■■. . Value, . Value, crease. • : "- • ' £.{X.Z.) £ (X.z.) p.c; Butter ..... 196,451.. 97,666 «50.3 :Casein . .... — 7,368 . — Frozen meats .. ; 49,915 299 »99 4 Sausage casings . 273,479 116,913 *47.6 Calfsjiins ..... 9,650 28,471 195.0 Cattle hides 10,329 21,965 ' 112 6 KahbltsHns 8,319 150,732 17118 Deerskins 2,161 1,160 *46 4 Woolled sheep- '- ' . skins ...... 8,179 89,862 998.6 Pelts .......... 325,104 478,648 47.2 Greasy wool ... 113,424 404,726 256.8 •.Scoured wool .. 2,761 8,7.30 216.2 Slipedwool .... 41,429 46,977 13.4 L Grass and clover • sa;d .. 13.007 31,909 145.3 Tallow ..... v . ■ 248,631 27,328 »89.0 Xanrl gum 11,500 9,954 '13.5 Manures.;. .-..-....- 2,394 5,575' 132.9 Other ......... .54,881 28,165 *4S.7 '■:. Total ....... £1,373,614 £1,556,448 •Decrease. 13.3