DOMINION WARES

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 3714, 12 October 1926, Page 2

DOMINION WARES

MOTHER COUNTRY BEST J CUSTOMER GROWTH OF TRADE WITH GERMANY A.s a general nilo four-filths of tho dominion’s exports find their way to the United Kingdom. A certain amount of this produce, mainly in the nature o) wool, is subsequently reshipped from Great Britain to tho Continent and to America. Imports from the United Kingdom to the dominion usually approximate one-hall ot tho total. Jho actual percentages for 1925 were :-—Exports, 79.7(3; imports, 48.(38. The above information is contained in a report on trade and shipping in New Zealand for the year 1925, which has just been issued irom the Government Statistician’s Ollice. Practically the whole of the exports (explains the report) represents the actual produce ol the dominion, so that the re-export trade is comparatively small. During .1925 the value ol the produce or munulaetures ol other countries exported Irom Now Zealand amounted to 13741,241, and was concerned mainly with Australia, Tip, Tonga, and Western Samoa. During and after the war period New Zealand’s trade with the United States attained considerable dimensions, the peak year being 1920, when the total trade amounted to over £18,000,000. Although the years 1921 and 1922 witnessed a substantial drop as a result of the post-war trade depression, considerable progress was made in subse((lien I you ins. In point ol luct, the figures—imports, £8,885.205, and exports, LI ,349,758 —are second in uiagmtude only to the record totals ot 19-0. As explained later, motor vehicles and accessories and motor spirit constitute the bulk of the imports from the United States. . . , -i Trade with Australia is also considerable, tho figures for 1925 being:—lmports, £5,249,493, a decrease oi £IOO,000 as compared with the previous year; and exports, £2,502,113, which is £7,000 less than tho 1924 total. The imports wore made up chiefly oi wheat, tiinbei, coal, fruit, chocolate, confectionery, tobacco, drugs and chemicals, and leather goods. ... If . or Imports ol Canadian origin in f920 were valued at £3,916,237, as compared with £3,914,404 in 1924. The figure lor 1925 constitutes a record, and is made up chiefly of motor vehicles and parts (£2,019,909). Exports to Canada do not assume very 7 great proportions, the 1925 total of £423,068 being the lowest since 1911. , A noteworthy feature of the year s trade is the continued revival of relations with Germany. Following on the removal of the embargo on German goods (September 1, 1923), during the incidence of which trade between the two countries dwindled away to practically nothing, the restoration was striking. Exports from the dominion to Germany, which amounted to £190.600 in 1923, advanced to £1,166,302 in 1924, and to £1,614,090 in 1925. The development in imports was equally remarkable, the 1923 figure of £68,915 giving way to £291,764 in 1924 and to £500,475 ill 1925. Other countries from which the dominion drew considerable supplies dining the year were;— Fiji (£1,239,456), France (£918,572), India (£912,741), Ceylon (£844,596), Japan (£693.632), Dutch East Indies (£610,686), Belgium (£439,289), Switzerland (£441,892), Italy (£318,693), Sweden (£309,770), Netherlands (£272,786). Export customers of .some magnitude other than those already noted were:-—France (£600,814), Italy (£325,279), Japan (£232,2130, India (.£197,428), Belgium (£194,575). Turning to the table ol exports, the report proceeds, it is seen that while the percentage of tho dominion’s products which found its way to tlje United Kingdom in 1925 (79.76) is practically the same as tho average for 1909-13, it is considerably less than that for the years 1922 and 1923. It should he mentioned that, included in the exports to Great Britain are considerable quantities of produce which are shipped to London merely 7 as a convenient depot lor subsequent reshipment to the Continent or to America. These exports, in which wool figures prominently. amount to between £4,000,000' and £5.000.000 annually. Exports to Australia have declined proportionately during the period under review, the average ot 11.30 per cent, during 1909-13 having fallen to 4.53 in 1925. This position is due in a large measure to tlte fact that considerable quantities of gold which iormerly went to (lie Commonwealth now go direct to tiie United Slates and to India. India now receives a larger share of the dominion’s exports than lormerly, chiefly in tlie nature of gold, silver, and wool. Canada’s proportion shows a slight decline. The United States, on the other hand, ims shown a steady growth as an export customer of the dominion, and inis now ousted Australia from second’ position. The greatest development is evident in the direction of sheepskins, rahhilskins, wool, sausage casings, and butter. Japan, whose imports irom New Zealand wen 7 negligible in pre-war days, now receives considerable quantities ol wool. France and Belgium now come in lor a large sluin' ol Ihe dominion's products, principally in the direction of wool, link’s, skins, and butter. Large quantities of wool sent to Germany have hqf.n instrumental in placing that country lonrlh in magnitude among New Zealand's export customers.