TRADE OF BRITAIN

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21882, 18 August 1934, Page 11

TRADE OF BRITAIN

ENCOURAGING POSITION REVIVAL OF INDUSTRIES PRESENT YEAR'S RETURNS By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright British Wiroless RUGBY, August 16 The Board of Trade returns for July are regarded as encouraging evidence that Britain's industries are slowly reviving. The imports of raw materials fell below those of June hv £294,000 and of manufactured articles by £130,000. Compared with a year ago there were increases in July in all three classes, mv>st of the increase being in respect to raw materials, £1,770,000, and manufactured articles, £2,265,000. There was a slight reduction in British exports of raw materials, but exports of manufactured articles, £26,048,000, have been exceeded only twice since July, 1931. The total value of the July exports has been exceeded only three times in the last three years. An upward trend in the returns for the first six months of the year is revealed, also some interesting changes compared with last year and with the first half of 1931 (the period before the abandonment of the gold standard and tlio introduction of protection). The imports from the Empire in the first six months of this year were higher than in the corresponding half of any of the three previous years. The increase over 1931 was £14,000,000 and over last year more than £16,000,000. However, although exports to British countries were £8,000,000 abovo last year, they were nearly £1,800,000 less than in the first half of 1931.

The imports from * foreign countries since 1931 have dropped £69,500,000, being a percentage decline of 24, but exports of British products to foreign countries have dropped only £7,661,000, or less than 7 per cent.