IMPORTATION OF MOTORS

Taranaki Daily News, 3 August 1931, Page 5

IMPORTATION OF MOTORS

SUBSTANTIAL DECREASE RETURN FOR SIX MONTHS BRITISH PRODUCTS STABLE.’ A decrease of 6354 in the number of motor-cars, chassis and commercial vehicles, imported to New Zealand in the first six months of this year, compared with the total for the corresponding period of last year, is revealed in a return specially compiled for the New Zealand Herald by the Comptroller of 'Customs. In the past six months 2629 units were imported, as against 8983 in the January-June period of 1930. The dutiable value of the imports was £388,032, compared with £1,375,158 for the first six months of last year. The total is the lowest since 1922, when the postwar depression was largely responsible for their being imported only 1078 units valued at £276,123. In the following tables the figure s quoted represent the current domestic values in the countries of export, plus 10 per cent. In calculating the actual expenditure on motors in the first six months of this year, the freight, Customs duty and. profits must be’considered. About one-fifth of the vehicles came through the port of Auckland, the totals being 410 cars and car chassis, anc 111 commercial vehicles, valued at £78,114. IMPORTATIONS SINCE • 1922. Following are details of th? dutiable values of all types of cars, chassis and commercial motors imported into the Dominion in . the first k six months of every year since 1922:—

For the” first time, British cars and trucks have predominated in the totals, heavy protective tariffs evidently having displaced Canada and the United States as the principal sources of supply. Last year, the largest quantity came from Canada, and in 1929 and 1928 there were more vehicles from the United States than from any other country.

POPULAR BRITISH LIGHT CAR.

The subjection of Canadian products to the general tariff has no doubt affected trade to a great extent, and the return indicates that the most popular type of machine has been the British light car. The importation of one popular make from England, where a factory has been established, instead of from Canada, as previously, has -also helped to swell the United Kingdom total.

Of the £388,032 sent from New Zealand in the period, £257,275, or more than 66 per cent., was for United Kingdom cars, chassis, trucks or buses. United States vehicles accounted for about 17 per cent, on a value basis; Canadian makes for some 16 per cent.; and Continental vehicles for only .3, per cent., approximately. . Following are details of the values for each half-year:—

Totals 1,375,158 388,032

HALF-YEARLY ANALYSIS.

The total of 2629 vehicles imported in the first six months- this year included 2259 cars and car chassis, the remainin<r 370 being commercial types.' Last yeai- 7576 cars and 1407 commercial models were imported in the JanuaryJune period. Over the same time in 1929 there were 11,247 cars and 3825 commercial vehicles.

The total of 1457 British cars imported is almost a record, and exceeds the total for the corresponding period last year by 56. The record period was the first six months of 1929, when 1510 British cars were brought into the country. Canadian cars have dropped from 3752 to 472, and United States makes from 2415 to 327. There have been two Italian cars imported in the first half of each of the last four years, although there were 216 in the first six months of 1927 and one or two Italian makes were fairly popular in 1926. Other Continental imports are practically negligible, there being one from Belgium, and none from France or Germany.

Following is an analysis of the halfyearly car imports:— ;

COMMERCIAL VEHICLES. The imports of trucks, buses' vans and commercial chassis of all types totalled only 370, little more than a quarter of the quota in the corresponding period last year. The greatest decrease was in Canadian models, which fell from 824 in the first half of 1930 to 150 in the first, six months this year. There were 111 commercial vehicles from the United States, 108 from the United Kingdom, and one from Germany. United Kingdom products showed a drop of only 60, while all other manufacturing countries were much more severely affected. In the boom of 1929 a great rise in American models and the introduction of light Canadian vehicles accounted for the exceptionally high total of 3825. • • - ■■ Most commercial vehicles are imported in chassis form, 335 of the last-six months’ total of 370 being without any form of body. Following are details of the imports in the first six months of 1929, 1930 and 1931: —

Half-year Value No. 1922 £276,123 1,078 1923 1,007,828 5,587 1924 ... 1,705,511 9,332 1925 2,264,650 11,924 1926 ......... 2,155,598 13,198 1927 1,071,519 6,656 1928 984,096 6,313 1929 2,055,517 15,072 1930 1,375,158 8,983 1931 ........ 388,032 2,629

1030 1931 £ • £ United States ... t 505,820 ■ 66,132 Canada .... 543,990 63,229 United Kingdom . 323,560 257,275 Belgium ......... 1,690 594 France > 593 Italy ....... 496 530 Germany — 272

1929.. No. 1930. No. 1931. No. United States .. 4805 2415 327 United Kingdom 1510 1401 1457 Belgium 14 2 1 France ....... 1 4' — Italy ......... 2 2 2 Totals ....; 11/247 7,576 2/259

1929. No. 1930. No. 1931. No. United States ,. 2553 422 Ill Canada 1024 824 , 150 United Kingdom 244 158 108 Belgium ........ 4 O France ........i —— 1 —— Italy . — —*. Germany ....... 1 Totals 38’25 1407 370