TRADE OF DOMINION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20761, 2 January 1931, Page 7

TRADE OF DOMINION.

ELEVEN MONTHS' RETUHNIt. FALL IN EXPORT VALUES. CONTRACTION OF IMPORTS. Owing to the low prices in the overseas markets lor New Zealand's primary produce it seems certain that the value of the Dominion's export trade has fallen bj £10,000,000 in the last 12 months, official returns for the 11 months ended November 30 showing a decline of just over £9,000,000. There lias been a substantial reduction in import values, the drop in the 11 months being £5,000.000. Tho aggregate value of tho imports, £39,877,000, is the lowest in reccflt years. The Abstract of Statistics for December throws considerable light on the nature of the decline in overseas trade. Practically every class of export has fallen off with the exception of frozen meat. Dur. ing the 11 months ended November 30 wool was exported to the value of £7,365,374, just half its value in the corresponding period last year, and the diminished return was due to the fall in prices rather than the lower quantity of woo! exported. The average export price per pound was only 9.61 d, a figure 40 per cent, lower than that realised in 1929, and 32.8 per cent, below the average prices obtained during tho last five year 6. Frozen Meat Exports., There lias been less cause for discontent in the frozen meat trade. Owing to the larger quantities exported, particularly mutton, the return is better than in tho corresponding 1.1 months of ..last year, lamb being 4.3 per c;,nt. ahead and mutton 30 per cent. Following is the detailed return:—

QUANTITY. J 92!). 1930. cwt. cwt". , Beef . .. 316.803 333,991 Lamb . . . 1,800,732 2,057,£07 Mutton .. 85i\020 1,5:07,758 Pork . . . 150,910 130,096 Veal . . . 57,700 69,033 Rabbits .. 12.348 27,291 Bacon . . 325,5H71b. "25,7431b. Others . . 31,2/8 40,035 3,559,444 4,092,417 VALUE. 1929 1930. Beef . . . £514,429 £51>5.783 Lamb .. 6,625,142 6,908,727 Mutton . . 1,748,1-13 2,275,396 Pork . . . 502,100 450,308 Veal . .. 112,045 130,908 Rabbits . . 19,595 47,915 Bncoa . 17,875 10,591 Others • . 79,236 101,675 £9,618,565 £10,500,303

Butter and cheese have also been exported in increased quantities, hut owing to lower prices the aggregate return has been lower, £10,877,711 from butter during the 11 completed months of this year, as compared with £11,275,044 for the corresponding period of last year, and £5,656,625 from cheese, as against £6,085,397. The decrease in aggregate value is equivalent to 3.5 per cent, in the case of butter and 7 per cent, in the caso of cheese. Dried milk reaped £253,766, which is much the same figure as last year. Fruit Trade Prospering.

The fruit export trade conilinues to show improvement, the quantity exported in the last 11 months Leing 13,580J651b. greater than in the previous corresponding period, with a value of £641,419, as against £542,516 last year. ' Hides and skins, on the other hand, although exported in greater quantities than before, had a lower aggregate value. Sheepskins, for instance, were exported to the number of 10,594,677, as against 9,403,390, an increase of 1,19.1,287, but , . the value was £1,450,619, as against;-' * £1,748,943, a decrease of £298,324. Calf , and cattle skins depreciated to the same -j» extent and rabbit skins, of which ; 6,500,000 were exported, as against 8,786,000 last year, were valued at £129,964, compared with £350,171. Other notable declines were:—Phormium' tenax fibre, 3576 tons, £120,791; kauri gum, 936 tons, £60,879; fiawn timber, 10,609,793 superficial feet, £117,525. Increases in quantity and value incb'Oed gold, 14,316 ounces, £59,463, and s;iver, 184,042 ounces, £6877. Tallow was exported in increased quantities, but was valued at £20,560 less. Reduction in Imports.

With few exceptions there was a genera). reduction in imports, the value of which was 11 per cent, below that for the first 11 months of 1929 ami 6.2 per cent, below the average for the preceding five years. The principal decline was in motor' vehicles, 16.292 of which were , imported during the 11 months, as against 27,547 in the corresponding period last year. Their value was £2,318,262, as against £3,965,729, a reduction of £1,647,467. _ Tyres showed a sympathetic decline in value, from £1,059,786 to £738,755. Other important imports declined in value as follows:

The principal imports which increased in value were:—Tobacco, from £671,374 to £675,767; lubricating oil, £2184,359 to £318,697; railway and tramway plant, £311,854 to £366,215; agricultural machinery, £232,150 to £240,705; dairying machinery, £133,086 to £185,579; electrical machinery, £1,449,586 to £1,587,137; dressed timber, £127,198 to £294,145.

Commodity. 11 Mths. 11 Mtlil. 1929. 1930. Sugar £694.976 i6'i5,9&3 Tea 892,442 672,144 Whisky 509,169 424,085 Cigarettes ,. .. 539,062 387, i07 Apparel 2,157,45''. 1,948,470 Footwear . .. •. 994,722 887,327 Drapery 407,752 336,146 Carpeting 597,6S1 544,592 Cotton piecegootls 1,816,915 1,713,734 Silk and satin 1,067,426 957.947 "Woollen piccegoods ., 701,452 590.639 Motor spirits 1,972,042 1.939.234 Coal 260,128 192,006 , Fencing wire 223,093 176,720 Sewing machines 129,362 95,116 Sawn timber 571,463 660.420 Glass and earthenware 633,290 557,067 Books 454,280 435,719 Cinema films 221.093 208,392 Phosphates ... ... 612,948 452,794 Pianos 87,272 27.798 / Other musical instruments 399,230 37:,581'