BRITISH TRADE

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXV, Issue 79, 16 March 1935, Page 7

BRITISH TRADE

Encouraging Figures EXPANSION OF INDUSTRIES British Official Wireless Service. RUGBY. March 11. The British overseas trade figures for February aro regarded as encouraging. they support the evidence provided earlier in the week by the Ministry of Labour returns, which showed a substantial increase during February in the numbers employed, and are further borne out by the announcement that a fresh expansion of the. steel and iron output also occurred last month. The rise of £1,038,000 in exports represents an increase of 13 per cent., while imports were again reduced, showing a decline of £1,062,000 on those for February 1934. Compared with those of January, exports also show a rising tendency. Allowing for the shorter working month —namely, 21 days against the 27-day average—the daily exports were over 8 per cent, higher. Reckoned on the same basis, imports were down by about 10 per cent. Increased activity in the heavy trade is shown by the fact that there were 97 furnaces in blast in Britain at the end of February, compared with 9i a month earlier. Compared with February 1934, the pig-iron output increased to 483,100 tons from 414,000, and steel to 769,300 from 707,500. On the Stock Exchange this morning, British Government stocks developed renewed strength, stimulated by the encouraging trade figures. On stock markets, British Government stock is in demand due to improving trade factors. Other markets are mostly steady.