MOTOR IMPORTS

Greymouth Evening Star, 19 August 1940, Page 3

MOTOR IMPORTS

DECREASE OF £ 2.495,000. Not since 1933 have, the half-yearly motor imports into New Zealand reached the low level of the past six months. The. number or vehicles landed in this period totalled 3961, valued at £662,911, according to statistics prepared by the Comptroller of Customs. The imports represent approximately one-fifth of the record total for the first six months of last year. There were 14,938 fewer vehicles this year, representing a decline of £2,495,347. About two-thirds of the importations were motor-cars. They numbered 2920, valued at £433,057. The 1041 commercial vehicles landed cost £229,854. In the same period last year 16,000 cars and 2899 commercial vehicles were imported. Britain claimed £480,415 of the total this year, Canada 125,827, .and America £56,407. One car costing £2OO from Australia and another worth £62 from Czechoslovakia were the only other importations. Completely unassembled vehicles numbered 3896, only 65 finished products being ordered. Britain sent 2758 unassembled cars and 53 completely finished of a total value of £415,881. America supplied 100 cars, including five assembled, worth £16,620, while the landing cost of Canada’s one factory finished car was £294. As usual, Canada provided the bulk of the commercial vehicles. She sent 672, including two assembled products, valued at £125533. Purchases from Britain included 206 such vehicles, all unassembled, and priced at £64,534. The American order was’ for 163 commerciad vehicles, two of which were assembled, costing a total of £39,787. At the port of Auckland, 785 vehicles valued at £103,064 were landed during the sb; months ended June 30. There were 634 cars and 23 commercial vehicles from Britain costing £78,816, in addition to 55 cars and 73 commercial units from America, amounting to £24,248. In the first six months of last year motor imports through Auckland totalled 2374, their dutiable value being £407,694.