FALL IN EXPORT VALUES

Hawera Star, Volume L, 8 January 1931, Page 7

FALL IN EXPORT VALUES

TR ADE! OF DOMINION

ELEVEN MONTHS'. RETURNS

Owni" to the low prices in the oversens markets for New Zealand produce it seems certain that the «■ of the Dominion’s export trade ins fallen by £IO,OOO, WO m the ast - months, official returns lor the 1 montins ended December JO stoAvmg a •decline of just over £9,000,000. | il H c has been substantial •reduction m import values, the drop m the ll months being £5,000,000. The aggregate value of the imports, £59,877,000, is the lowest in recent years.

The Abstract of Statistics lor December throws considerable light on tlie nature of the decline in overseas trade. Practically every class of export has fallen off with the exception of frozen meat During the 11 months ended November 30 wool was exportd to the value of £7,365,374, just half its.value in the corresponding period last- >eai and the diminished return was due to the fall in prices rather than the lower quality of wool exported. Ihe average export price per pound was only 9Ald, ia figure. Uo_ <*nt. lower than that realised in 1929, and 32.8 pci- ‘cent, below the average prices obtained during the last five years.

FROZEN MEAT EXPORTS

There has been less cause for discontent in the frozen meat trade. Owing to the larger quantities exported, particularly mutton, the return js £882,138 better than in tlio corresponding 11 months of last year, lamb being 4.3 per cent, ahead and mutton 30 percent. Following is the detailed return :

QUANTITY. 1929. 1930. cwt. cwt. Beef 316,863 333.991 Lamb 1 800,732 2,057,867 Mutton 858,020 1,207,758 Por k 156,910 130,696 Veal 57,706 69,033 Rabbits 12,348 27,294 Bacon 325,5871 b 225,7431 b Others 31,278 40.035 3,559,444 4,092,417 VALUE. 1929 1930 £ £ Bee f 514,429 568,783 Mutton 1,748,143 2,275,39 b Lamb 6,625-,142 6,908,727 p or k 502,100 450,308 Veal 112,045 136,908 Rabbits 19,595 47,915 Bacon 17,875 10.591 Others 79,263 101.675 9,618,565 10,500,303

Butter and cheese have also been exported in increased quantities, hut owing to lower prices the aggregate return has been lower, £10,877,711 from butter during the 11 completed months of this year, as compared with £11,275,044 for the corresponding period of last year ,and £5,656,652 from cheese, as against £6,085,397. The decrease in aggregate value is equivalent to 3.5 per cent, in the case of butter and 7 per cent, in the case of cheese. Dried milk reaped £253,766, which is much the same figure as last year.

FRUIT TRADE PROSPERING

The fruit export trade continues to show improvement-, the quantity exported in the last 11 months being 113,580,1651 b greater than in the previous corresponding period, with a value or £'6111,419, as against £542,516 last year. .Hides and. -skins, on t-he otnei hand, although exported in greater quantities than before, had a lower aggregate value. Sheepskins, for instance, were exported to the number of 10,594,677, as against 9,403,390, an increase of 1 191,287, but the value was £1,450,619 as against £1,748,943, a decrease of £298,324. Calf and cattle skins depreciated to the same extent and rabbit skins of which 6,500,000 were exported, as against 8,786,000 last year, were valued! at £129,964, comlparecl. with £350,171.

Other notable declines were:—Phornriuni tenax fibre, 3576 tons, £120,791; kauri gum. 936 tons, £60,879; sawn timber, 10,609,793 superficial feet, £117,525. Increase in quantity and value included gold, 14,316 ounces, £59,463, and silver, 184,042 ounces, £6877. Tallow was exported in increased quantities, but. was valued at £20.560 less.

REDUCTION IN IMPORTS

With few exceptions there was a general reduction in imports, the value of which was 11 pm- cent, ibelow that for the first 11 months of 192-9 and 6.2- per cent, below the average for the preceding five years. The principal decline was in motor vehicles-, 16,292 of which were imported during the 11 months, as against 27.547 in the corresponding period last year. Their value was £2,318,262, as against £3,965,729, a reduction of £1,647,467. Tyres showed a sympathetic decline in value, from £1,059,786 to £738,755. Other important imports declined in value as follows:-

Commodity llMths llMths'. 1929 1930 Sugar £694,976 £665,966

Tea 892,442 672,144 Whisky 509,169 424,085 Cigarettes 539,062 387,407 Apparel 2.157,456 1,948,470 Footwear 994.722 887,327

Drapery 407,752 336,146 Carpeting 597,681 544,592 Cotton piecegoods 1.816,915 1.713,734 .Silk and satin 1,067,426 957,947 Woolen piecegoods 701,452 590,639 Motor spirits 1.972,042 1,939,234 Coal 260,128 192,006 Fencing wire 223,093 176,720 Sewing machines 129,362 95,116 Sawn timber 571,463 560,420 Glass and earthenware 638,296 557,067 Books 454,230 435,719 Cinema films 221,093 208,392 Phosphates 612,948 452,794 Pianos 87,272 27.798 Other musical instru-

ments 399,230 271,581 The principal imports which increased in value were:—Tobacco, from £671,374 to £675.767; lubricating oil, £284,359 to £318,697; railway and tramway plant, £3ll ,'854 to £366,215; agriculture machinery, £232,150 to £240.705; dairying machinery. £133,086 to £185,•579; electrical machinery, £1,449,586 to Cl .587,137 ; dressed timber. £127.198 to £294,145.