RECORD EXPORTS

New Zealand Herald, Volume 82, Issue 25202, 15 May 1945, Page 6

RECORD EXPORTS

DOMINION TBADE DECREASE IN IMPORTS The value of exports from New Zealand for the year ended March 31 reached the record amount of £79,270,000, or £3,567,000 more than the previous record established in 1943. The Dominion's overseas trade for the 12 months was below the record amount of £170,986,000 in the previous year, the total of exports and imports being valued at £161,171,000. Although still running at high levels, imports were considerably lower than iri the previous financial year. The total includes defence materials and equipment and lend-lease supplies, and a reduction in these items is probably the chief contributing factor. At £81,901,000, imports were £13,855,000 lower than in the previous year. This decrease has "meant that, instead of a trade balance in which there was the large margin of £20,526,000 in favour of imports, as was the case in 1944, the excess of imports has been reduced to £2,631,000. Figures for the 12 months ended March 31 in each of the last five years are: — Exports Imports Excess £ £ £ 1941 .. 71,180,000 47,018,000 23,262,000 1942 .. 69,162,000 50,589,000 18,573,000 1913 .. 75,703,000 60,782,000 14,921,000 1944 . . 75,230,000 95,756,000 *20,526,000 1915 .. 70,270,000 51,901,000 *2,631,000 "Excess of imports. The fact that the trend toward more exports and loss imports became more apparent late in the year under review is illustrated by the fact that in Jlarch there was an excess of exports over imports of £5,194,000. In March. 1944, imports were valued at £1,427,000 more than exports. The total value of March exports of £9,718,000 was a high monthly total, and compared with £6,499,000 in the same month of 1944. Imports, on the other hand, were reduced substantially from £7.926.000 in March, 1944. to only £4,524,000 in March of this year. External trade for March in the past five years has resulted as follows: — Exports Imports Excess March £ £ £ "1941 .. 6,408,000 8,931,000 2,474,000 1942 .. 7,482,000 3,956,00 ft 3,526,000 1943 .. 5,329,000 7,465,000 *2,136,000 1944 .. 6,199,000 7,926,000 *1,477,000 1945 .. 9,718,000 4,524,000 5,194,000 •Excess of Imports. Returns for the first nine months of the production year, which opens in July, show a substantial increase in the total value of exports and a. marked decline in import figures,_ bringing the apparent trade balance in favour of exports to £8.176,000. instead of a balance of £13,239,000 in favour of exports at the same stage of the previous production year. Results for the first nine months of the production year from July to March in the past five years compare as follows: July- Exports Imports Excess March £ £ £ 1010-41 48,248,000 33,107,000 15,141,000 1941-42 51,645,000 37,511,000 14,134,000 1942-43 49,492,000 41,020,000 8,472,000 1943-44 57,236,000 70,475,000 *13,230,000 1041-45 63,292,000 55,116,000 8,176,000 •Excess of imporU.