MOTOR-VEHICLE IMPORTS

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18234, 1 November 1933, Page 11

MOTOR-VEHICLE IMPORTS

A FURTHER DECREASE BRITISH LEAD MAINTAINED A small decrease in the number of motor vehicles imported into New Zealand from all sources in the first nine months this year, compared with the total for a similar period last year, is shown in a return prepared by the. Comptroller of Customs. There were 2250 vehicles of all types imported in the January-geptember period this year, a decrease of 78 on the total of 2328 brought into tho country in the first three quarters of 1932. Up to September, 1931, the total number of vehicles imported was 3109, and in the same period of the previous year the total was 12,669. Vehicles imported in the first nine months this year were valued at £319,653, for purposes of assessing duty, compared with £337,774 in the corresponding period last year, £456,156 between January and September in 1931, and £1,890,’255 in the first three quarters of 1930. The decrease in the latest return, £18,121, is thus considerably below those recorded annually for several years, being less than one-sixth of the drop that occurred in the same period last year. The figures quoted are the current domestic values in the countries of origin, plus 10 per cent.

MORE CANADIAN VEHICLES

j A reversal of the position a year ago of Canadian imports is shown in tile latest return. The total for the JanuarySeptember period this year was 176, over double the number for flic same months last year, when a substantial decrease was recorded. The United States qupta this year fell from 196 to 105 units, following an even greater drop • in 1932, while imports from the United I Kingdom also showed a decline. ■ The United Kingdom total of 1968 for the first three quarters this year was 434 below that for a similar period last year, , although it was an improvement on the figures for 1931, when 1911 motor vehicles were imported from Great Britain, Imports from the United Kingdom so far this year were valued at £280,623, representing about 87 per cent, of the total of £319,653. I BRITAIN’S STRONG POSITION

The public preference for vehicles of United Kingdom manufacture is further indicated in the return dealing with motor-cars and chassis alone. The United Kingdom accounted for 1566 cars and chassis, valued at £209,611, out of the total imported of 1730 set down at £233,884. The United States total was 43, valued at £5650, while there were also 120 from Canada, worth £18,423, and one from France, quoted; at £2OO. In the first three quarters of 1932, the United Kingdom sent 1673 cars and chassis, worth £240,486, and the United

States 136 at £15,458, while, there were also 85 from Canada, representing an expenditure of £11,962, two from Franco, valued at £159, and one from Italy, quoted at £6O. The decrease in the total number ot motor-cars imported is oil-set, to a decree hy a slight increase in the return for commercial types, of which 520 were brought into the country in the first nine months this year, against 431 in the same period last year. Increases have occurred in the totals from the three principal sources of origin, the United Kingdom, the United States and Canada, while Continental exporters are not represented. Products of the United Kingdom have also predominated in the commercial section.