BRITISH COAL EXPORTS

Greymouth Evening Star, 17 October 1939, Page 8

BRITISH COAL EXPORTS

. PROMISING WAR-TIME MARKETS. [BRITISH OFFICIAL WIRELESS.] (Received October 17, 10 a.m.) RUGBY, October 16. Discussing the war-time prospects of the British coal export trade, the “Financial News” examines the effect of the elimination of German ships from the high seas, and notes that only the Baltic is now open to German shipping, while Germany’s internal requirements and rail transport difficulties must seriously hamper her overland export trade. Britain’s 'war-time coal production, it states, is expected to be ample for the requirements of the active export trade. Germany’s coal exports, which have! rapidly risen in the past seven years, reached the peak figure of 38,629,0001 metric tons in 1937, but fell in 1938 to 29,040,000 tons. The 1 principal increases in this period were achieved in France and Italy, but of growing importance to Germany before the ’war were the markets of Canada and South American countries, to which the export of British coal had in recent years decreased. Another promising prospective market for British coal under war-time conditions is Spain, which has now reached the point of industrial recovery when she will require foreign coal. British coal trade with Scandinavian countries has also been developing in recent years, as a result of trade agreements. The “Financial News” emphasises that these Northern European countries have a very strong interest in resuming the fullest possible trading with Britain, at the' earliest opportunity.