TRADE WITH FIJI.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18458, 23 July 1923, Page 5

TRADE WITH FIJI.

ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT.

[BY TELEGRAPH.— OWN COHRESI'ONDENI*.] -' WELLINGTON. Saturday. • An interesting statistical statement on the trade of Fiji has been prepared and issued by the Industries and Commerce Depart,en*...", is shown that the value of imports by Fiji m 1922 totalled £946.003. a fall of over £56.000, on the total for 1921. Imports were mainly manufactured goods. £565,664, and food, drink and tobacco, £290.175. Exports from Fiji totalled-£1,787,892, and reexports £75,280. or a total of £1.863.172 for 1922. a decrease of £678,286 as compared with 1921. Australia leads in the value of imports by Fiji, the United Kingdom ib next and .New Zealand third. > Australia predominates in the list of suppliers to Fiji of coal, paints, tobacco, ; vegetables, soap, tea, biscuits, flour, sharps and pollard, hardware, leather-ware . and machinery; * the United Kingdom in drapery, and Now' Zealand in sacks and bags, cement and* lime, errease and tallow, milk and preserved me£,ts. , The - department remarks on the list of imports: ■" These figures show that in comparison with Australia our export trade to Fiji is fully satisfactory in respect to 'She following commodities: Live stock, bacon and hams,, bags and socks, butter, cheese, lime and cement, oats, grease and tallow, meat, milk &nd sugar. Our exports of fresh and preserved vegetables < also • show a fairly satißfaotory total., but in the following commodities Australia enjoys a much greater proportion of the trade than New Zealand: Beer. ; biscuits, boots, and shoes, bran, coal, coffee, confectionery-, cordage and rope, drapery, drugs, flour, sharps and pollard, preserved fruit, furnituxe.; galvanised manufactures, glassware, nardware, iron and stdel, jams, leather-ware, machinery, manures, oils, paints, paper, pickles, ; salt, soap, whisliy, stationery, tea, timber, tobacco, twine, and wooden-ware. It is evident that while New Zealand is not in a favourable position;to compete is respect of some of these lines the results are not by any moans as satisfactory as* would appear possible if.manufacturers and traders will realise the extnet of this market with which wo have regular shipping connection. It is hoped that our position m this direction may be much improved.

DAIRY PRODUCE IN LONDON. A. H. Turnbull and Company are in receipt of a cablegram, dated July 21, from Weddel, i&nd Co., Ltd., London, recarding the dairy produce market, as follows:— Butter.— 158 a to 1625; New ZeaJand, junsalted. 158 a to 1625; salted, 157s to 1623; rather more inquiry. Cheese.— Zealand, white, 1003 to 102s; coloured, 98s to 100s. Market firm. Supplies short owing to strike,.