BRITAIN'S TRADE

Evening Star, Issue 19275, 14 June 1926, Page 5

BRITAIN'S TRADE

RETURNS FOR MAY

DEGREASE IN VOLUME. Pr«s Association—By Telegraph—Copyright LONDON, June 12. Tho Board of Trade returns for May show that the value of the imports to the United Kingdom _ decreased by £23,01)7,001) compared with May of last year. The exports of British products wore less by £18,440,000, and the reexports of colonial and foreign products declined by £6,9(36,000. The principal decreases in imports were:—Grain and Hour, £2,623,000; food and drink (non-dutiable), £1,648,000; food and drink (dutiable), £1,486,000; wool, £1,094,000; raw cotton, £1,110,000; raw wool, £3,051,000; non-ferrous metals, £1,436,000; silk, £1,035,000; other textile manufactures, £1,069,000; apparel, £1,084,000. The principal -decreases in exports wore:—Coal, £3,406,000; iron and steel, £1.109,000; machinery, £1,205,000; cotton yarns and manufactures, £5,538,000; woollen yarns and manufactures, £1,015,000. Tho chief drops in re-exports were ; Raw wool, £1,499,01)0; rubber, £1,859,000. The principal increase in imports was:—Rubber, £1,150,000. —A. and N’.Z. Cable. EFFECT OF GENERAL STRIKE. OUTLOOK SERIOUS. LONDON. June 12. The ‘Observer’ says that tlio tremendous dislocation of British industry caused by tho general strike is reflected in the Board of Trade returns showing a decrease in the volume of trade compared with last May of £48,000,00't. The position is particularly disastrous, inasmuch as the first four months of the year have shown a gross decrease in trade of over £69,000,0i"). The year is now, therefore, about. £118,(")0,001) to lltv bad, and unless somouiing drastic happens in connection with the coal strike the June figures .seem certain to increase the deficit.--A. and N.Z. Cable.