EMPIRE TRADE

Manawatu Standard, Volume LV, Issue 90, 14 March 1935, Page 7

EMPIRE TRADE

STANDING BY OTTAWA. ASSUR ANCE OF BRITAIN, MUST HAVE RECIPROCITY, (United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph.—-Copyright.) (British Official Wireelss.) Received March 14, 11.37 a.m, RUGBY, March 13. Speaking at a dinner given by the Royal Empire Society in London, Mr Malcolm MacDonald said the British Government stood by the undertaking of the Ottawa Agreement and intended to give Australia a gradually increasing share in the provision of foodstuffs for Britain. At the same time, if there was a movement in Britain to buy more Australian foodstuffs there must also bo a movement in Australia to buy more British manufactured articles. Replying to a Parliamentary question, Mr D. J. Colville, of the Department of Overseas Trade, said he was aware that British imports from countries with whom trade agreements had been concluded had considerably exceeded British exports to those countries. He pointed out that as a result of those agreements British trade with those countries was developing very satisfactorily in many respects, and the imports from them consisted to a considerable extent of raw materials and articles mainly unmanufactured. TRADE STATISTICS.

The preliminary figures of overseas trade for February show a decrease of over £1,000,000 in the value of imports and an increase of more than £4,000,000 in that of exports as compared with the coresponding month of last year. The totals for • last month were £56,302,000 and £34,096,000 respectively.