TRADE OF SAMOA

Otago Witness, Issue 3398, 30 April 1919, Page 36

TRADE OF SAMOA

OFFICIAL REPORT FOR 1918. A statistical report upon the trade and commerce of the territory of Samoa, under British military occupation, has been received from the Collector of Customs at Apia. It comprises a printed statement, giving the full details of the trade-during 1917, and', a supplementary statement of the export trade during 1918, the import trade statistics for last year not being yet available. The trading relations of the former German colony are principally with the United States, Australia, and New Zealand. The following table shows the value of the imports from and exports to the three countries during 1917, and of the exports in 1918, with the value of the total trade: — 1917. 1918. Imports. Exports. Exports. United States ... £107,665 £247,606 £253,759 Australia ... 94,082 43.492 35,899 £Tew Zealand ... 103,432 25,122 16,887 Total trade ... £317,773 £320,444 £306,887 Of the exports in 1918, nearly 83 per cent, were to the United States, 12 per cent, to Australia, and 5£ per cent, to New Zealand. The total trade in 1917 was distributed as follows:—United States, per cent.; Australia, 21£ per cent.; New Zealand, 20 per cent.; while 34 per cent, of the imports were derived from the United States, 294 Per cent, from Australia, and 32g per cent, from New Zealand. The principal produce of the territory is copra, cocoa, and rubber, other commodities representing, by value, only 1 or 2 per cent, of the total. The distribution of the exports during the past two years was as follows, the figures for 1917 being given in parentheses:— Copra.—United States, 9370 tons, £245,576 (8597 tons, £221,518); New Zealand, Cocoa.—Australia, 494 tons, £33,267 (995 tons, £30,782); New Zealand, 209 tons, £15.338 (241 tens, £12,971); United States America, 92 tons, £5564 (422 tons, £22,997); Canada tons, £54,169 (1207 tons, £69,549). Rubber.—Australia, 28,8011 b, £2152 (136,1101 b. £12,094); New Zealand. 72881 b, £603 (86921 b, £650); Canada, 13231 b, £95 (—): United States America, £l343);—totals, 37,3621 b, £2850 (156,4281 b, £14,087).'