STILL FALLING.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 7415, 29 May 1902, Page 2

STILL FALLING.

+. THE TRADE OF GREAT BRITAIN, DECLINE 0? EXPORTS. A very notable fact in connection with the imports into. New Zealand is that America,, is capturing lines of goods that formerly came from Great Britain alone. The same process seems to be going on in other markets. The result is that the export trade of the Old Country is declining at a rapid' rate. Heavy decreases both in imports and exports are shown in the Board- of Trade re^ turns for March. Imports, as compared with last year, show a decline of £5,528,195, or U-9 per ceiijt. Fqodstijffis account for a great part of the fall, sugar alone showing a decrease of £1, 351,000. Wool imports are also lower by £1,376,000. • Exports fell off to the extent of £2,804,055, or 11.2 per cent, and re-exports by £886,054, or 17 per cent. The decrease in exports during the three months may largely be accounted for by the fall in certain staple articles. The vajue of the coal sent abroad alope has declined in two years by £1,800,000. There have been large fa^lls in the output of most kinds cf iron. Jn maJPtnfaotiired steel there is also a fall. Great Britain is exporting nearly 10 per cent less engines, and other machinery for mill-work' has gone down about 17 per cent. The returns show, however, that some trades, notably tin-plate manufacture, are looking up. The output of shipping shows a fall of £1,800,000 over last year, although half a million more in value than 1900. The growth of imports exceeds the fall in exports. The total value of imports for three months comes to £132,694,850, or just on £5,500,000 more than two years ago, and over half a million more than last year. The main rise is in articles of food and' drink and raw -materials for manufacture.