DOMINION’S TRADE.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLVI, Issue 108, 7 April 1926, Page 6

DOMINION’S TRADE.

INCREASE IN IMPORTS.

EXPORTS SHOW A DECLINE

With the issue of the Monthly Abstract of Statistics for March the trade figures for the first two months fliA vear are available. In tho calendar year 1926, the exports aggregated £55,262,272, STid the imports £52,456,407; there was thu s an excess of exports over . imports ol £2,805.865, which, m . view of om heavy commitments abroad for interest on the public debt other outgoings was below the total required to meet SU Taldng g in°tho months of January and February this year, the trade position shows an adverse balance. s'lie exports and imports for the twelve months to February 28, 1926, compare as under: Imports 52,561,388 Exports 49,099,218 Excess of imports 2,962,1/0 There is here shown an excess of imports over exports of £2,962,1/0. I lie figures for the twelve months quoted, however, do not give an accurate view of the position, because they include parts of two separate seasons. If the produce year alone is taken the position becomes much more cleai. The produce year begins on October 1, and up to the end of February hyo months have passed, and the exports for each of the five months compared with the figures for the corresponding months of the previous season are as

In tho five months the exports have decreased by £6,147,539, and tho shrinkage is most marked in lebmary, largely owing to the decline in wool, tho export value of which declined from £3,639,981 to £1,603,120 in February, 1926. The exports of butter in February this year were valued at £905,710, against £1,584,818 in February of last year, the figures for cheese are £461,079 against £983,50/, frozen lamb £412,230 against £866,463, frozen mutton £*63,007 against £449.067, and frozen beef £27,003, agaiust £63,634. Thus the income from all our main products has contracted sharply. The monthly figures of imports com-

The imports show an increase of £1,936,734, as against a decrease of £6,147,539 in the exports for the same period. Taking the two months January and February, the values of our principal items of export compare with those for the corresponding months of 1925

7,427,629 12,759,247

These eight items exhibit a shrinkage of £5,331,618, equal to over 41 per cent. _ , j lie principal increase in imports, that is a single item increase, is in motor vehicles, apart from motor bicycles. In the two months 5202 such vehicles were imported, and the value was £830,928, against 3275 vehicles valued at £711,665. There were 59 days in the two months of January and February and the imports of motor vehicles work out at S 8 per day for every day of the two months involving an expenditure of approximately £15,000 per day. Taking the value of motor vehicles, rubber tires, tubes, etc., for same, and materials and p>arts, the imports for the two months show as under: Two Two months months 1926 1925 £ £ Motor vehicles ... 830,928 711,665 Tires, tubes, etc. ... 152,614 135,301 Other materials ... 4,056 3,240 987,598 850,206 While the figures for short periods of the year cannot be taken as conclusive evidence of the first outcome of the full year’s operations the results disclosed to date are arresting enough to command careful consideration.—Dominion.

follow: — 1925-26, 1924-25. Month £ £ ... . ] ,958.691 2,927,098 ... 4,498.839 2,i 16,956 December January February ... 4,613,488 ... 5,03?,981 ... .4,331,237 5,911,449 6,696,059 8,336,263 20,440,286 26,587,825

pare as under: — 1925-26 1924-25 Mouth £ £ October 4,745,369 4,082,671 November .. 4,834,480 3,797,360 December 4,.641,751 4,509,816 January 4,660,816 4,808,442 February 4,290,431 4,037,824 23,172,847 21,236,113

as under: — 1926 1925 £ £ .Wool i 3,626,047 7,004,705 Butter 2,*041,890 2,838,356 Lamb 895,853 1,651,058 Mutton 497,265 726,138 Beef i 60,387 105,856 Tallow' 108,082 155,629 Sheepskins 137.208 197,538 Timber 60,897 79,867