TRADE OF THE PORTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19953, 23 May 1928, Page 14

TRADE OF THE PORTS.

AUCKLAND'S LARGE FIGURES. NEARLY TWO MILLION TONS. RECORD EXPORTS TO AMERICA. Auckland's position as one of the principal ports of the world is revealed in the returns of trade for the year ended September 30 last, which were before the annual meeting of the Harbour Board yesterday. The total quantity of goods, inward, outward and transhipments, handled at Auckland and Manukau amounted to Cjose on 2,000,000 tons. Compared with the previous year, imports at Auckland show a decrease of 25,653 tons, transhipments a decrease of 1181 tons, and exports an increase of 4588 tons. At Manukau there was an increase of 1421 tons in imports, but a decrease of 1432 tons in exports. The return of value of imports and exports shows that the total value of goods imported at Auckland was £15,690,921, and of cargo exported £12,007,158, of which by far the greater part came from and went to the United Kingdom and other British possessions. Compared with the previous year the totals show a decrease in the imports of £1,389,396, and an increase in the exports of £388,446. Auckland cargo shipped to the overseas markets comprised 90,515 tons to Great Britain, 16,676 tons to Canada and the United States, and 24,257 to Australia. The transhipment!! were 3019 to Great Britain, 2195 to Canada and the United States, and 1009 to Australia. Exports to the American market constituted a record, the-total of 18,869 tons being more by over 5800 tons; Auckland cargo increasing 4560 tons and transhipments 1261 tons. In the dairy group an increase of 1924 tons, or 77 per cent, in butter, was offset somewhat by a decline in cheese and milk powders totalling 460 tons. Frozen and preserved meats are more by 760 tons, the former being nearly double and the latter four times the 1925-26 figures. America and Canada took less wool by 448 tons, but more sheepskins and hides by nearly 800 tons. Imports during the period totalled 1,552,585 tons, Great Britain with 202,897 tons, being the greatest contributor troni overseas. Australia was next with 170,841 tons, and then came the United States with 160,626 tons. The import trade with other New Zealand ports was 723,786 tons. Shipping returns presented by the harbourmaster, Captain H. H. Sargeant, showed that the inward shipping totalled 7578 vessels, of which 826 were iarge steamers. The local coastal shipping totalled 6752 vessels. Compared with the previous year, the large merchant shipping was greater by 53 vessels, but the local coastal returns were lower ,by 1046 vessels. On the Manukau Harbour, the arrivals comprised 295 vessels, a decrease of 45."