BRITAIN'S CUSTOMERS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22987, 15 March 1938, Page 7

BRITAIN'S CUSTOMERS

NEW ZEALAND LEADS TOTAL OF £l2/15/5 A HEAD POSITION MAINTAINED . —A [fhom our own coriiespondent] LONDON, Feb. 10 New Zealand easily maintains its reputation as Britain's best customer in proportion to population. In 1937 the average value of Britain's goods bought by each New Zealander totalled £'l2 los sd. This compares with £lO 19s 8d in 1936 and £l4 10s 6d in 1929. The figures are those of the Board of Trado Journal . On population basis the country placed next to New Zealand last year was the Irish Free State, with average individual purchases of £7 5s 9d. Next was Australia, £3 10s Id. followed by Denmark, £1 9s od, and South Africa. £-1 'ls 7d "The Dominions have in the past been, with few exceptions, better customers in proportion to the number of their inhabitants than foreign countries, and this remained generally true for 1937," tlio Journal states. "Denmark and Norway with £3 Is 9d a head were, as usual, the only foreign countries to comparo in this respect with the Dominions,

"Compared with 1936, each of the specified British countries showed an increase. Between 1935 and 1936 the solo decline had been in respect of India, while of the 23 foreign countries shown, declines took place in the case of three only, Spain, Egypt and the Soviet Union. The largest increases in monetary value occurred for New Zealand, Australia, British Malaya, Norway, Denmark and Finland." In reviewing the distribution of Great Britain's oversea trade during 1937, the Journal nays that total imports increased in value by over 21 per cent, compared with a year earlier. But when the effect of price changes is eliminated the increase in volume was G per cent, average values in the aggregate having risen by somo 1-1 per cent.