TRADE OF THE DOMINION.

Otago Witness, Issue 3862, 20 March 1928, Page 17

TRADE OF THE DOMINION.

LARGE BALANCE OF EXPORTS.

W ELLINGTON, March 12. Conclusive evidence of the general improvement in the overseas trading position of the Dominion is found in the trade returns supplied by the Customs Department. The value of the exports during February— nearly £8,000,000— was a record, being well on to £3,000,000 more than for the corresponding month Ox 1927, and more than double the value of the imports for the month. The value of the exports during February, as in January, was considerably swelled by the increase in dairy produce shipments, and. the marked appreciation in the priqp of wool.

The exports last month totalled £7,842.822, compared with £5,015,451 in February, 1927, an increase of £2,827,371 arid £236,437 more than in January, 1928. The imports for February were £3,578,238, compared with £3,292.610 in February, 1927, an increase of £285.628. The figures for February, 1928, with those of February, 1927, in parentheses afford the following comparison :—Exports, £7,842,822 (£5,015,451) ; imports, £3,578,238 (£3,292,610) ; excess of exports, £4,264,584 (£1,722,841). .Taking the combined figures for the months of January and February the improved position is even more marked. The exports for the two months of this year totalled £15,449,207, compared with £10,220,591 for the corresponding period of last year, an increase of £5,228,616, or well over 50 per cent. The imports during the same period of this year totalled £7,348,258, recording an advance of £44,588 on January and February, 1927, for which the total was £7.303.670. The figures for the two monthly periods of 1928 with those for last year in parentheses afford the following comparison:—Exports, £15,449,207 (£10.220,591) ; imports, £7,348,258 (£7,303.670) ; excess of exports £8,100,949 (£2,916,921). ' ‘ The excess of exports for the two months of this year was thus over £762,000 more than the. total value of the imports for the period.