HIGHEST FOR TWO YEARS

Evening Post, Volume CXXIX, Issue 16, 19 January 1940, Page 7

HIGHEST FOR TWO YEARS

BRITISH IMPORTS

THE DECEMBER RETURN

(British Official Wireless.)

RUGBY, January 17,

The British overseas trade returns indicate that both imports and exports during December not only returned to but actually overtook the peacetime levels.

In December the value of imports totalled £86,582,000, against £83,989,----000 in November and £74,132,000 in December, 1938. Exports totalled £40,169,000, against £37,360,000 and £39,099,000 in the final months of 1938.

Re-exports totalled £2,502,000, against £2,745,000 in November and £4,779,000 in December, 1938.

During 1939 imports, which totalled £885,944,000, declined by £33,600,000, or 4 per cent, as compared with 1938, and exports, which totalled £438,806,----000, fell by £31,900,000, or 7 per cent, while re-exports, which totalled £45,925,000, fell by £15,600,000, or 25 per cent.

The effect of German attempts to destroy British merchant shipping may be judged from the fact that imports in December exceeded in value those of any other month since De-, cember, 1937.