BRITISH AND GERMAN TRADE IN SOUTH AFRICA.

Timaru Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 11663, 23 January 1902, Page 3

BRITISH AND GERMAN TRADE IN SOUTH AFRICA.

| (" Press.") Perhaps one reason why the Germans are so angry with Great Britain just now is that already there has been a considerable lulling off in the German trade with South Africa, and they foresee that with the Transvaal a British colony it is possible as years go on German imports may iurther decline, British shippers reaping the benefit. British trade witn Soutn Africa already seems to- have more than recovered from the depression from which it had suffered since the outbreak of hostilities. We learn from the ''British and South African Export Gazette" that the value of the shipments of British goods to South Africa in October far and away exceeded those for any single month hitherto chronicled. No doubt the presence of the army in South Africa is indirectly the cause of some of the increase in the exports, but it is expressly stated that the figures quoted refer to civilian merchandise alone, and not to army supplies. On the other hand, the value of the total German shipments to South Africa was only £701,300, a falling off of £454,900 as compared with £1,156,200 in 1899. It is a'little significant that £159,950, or nearly one-third o! the decrease, represents explosives and weapons. But it is not- only in imports,but in exports, that South African trade is expanding. The exports for the first nine months of 1901 show an increase of £2,550,900 over the corresponding period of 1900, the total constituting a record for the period named. When the war is concluded and the development of the country is systematically taken in hand, we fully believe that the trade of South Africa will expand to a phenomenal extent. It is all the more essential, therefore, that New Zealand should effect a footing as early as possible, so as to share in what we all hope will be the returning tide of prosperity in the New South Africa. ,