11

H.-44

Our principal exports to the United States in 1929 were as follows, the figures for the previous year, 1928, being given also: — 1929. 1928. £ £ Hides, pelts, and skins .. .. .. .. 1,650,976 1,874,226 Wool .. .. .. .. .. .. 656,656 701,730 Frozen beef .. .. .. .. .. 242,972 358,345 Butter .. .. .. .. .. 75,955 328,140 Sausage casings and skins .. .. .. .. 262,559 272,616 Kauri-gum .. .. .. .. .. 129,432 141,845 Phormium fibre .. .. .. .. .. 138,776 96,291 Seeds .. .. .. .. .. .. 76,615 70,131 Gold .. .. .. .. .. .. 44,192 57,941 As regards our imports from the United States, the most important item in 1929 was motor-spirit and other mineral oils, which was valued at £2,348,413, as compared with £2,263,948 in 1928. Motorvehicles, and materials and parts for same, was the next most important item, totalling £2,054,782 in 1929, as against £1,737,059 in 1928. The remainder of the trade covered a wide range of articles in which iron and steel goods, timber, sulphur, tobacco, fruits, cinematograph films, &c., figured prominently. It is feared that the increased tariff on certain items recently introduced by the Tariff Bill in the United States will have a detrimental effect on the volume of exports from the Dominion. Trade with the East. The question of the development of our trade with the East has engaged the attention of the Department during the past year. The Department has co-operated with the Chambers of Commerce in this matter —particularly the Wellington Chamber—and in September last issued a bulletin upon the subject. A further and more detailed report is now being prepared, and will shortly be issued as a Departmental bulletin to Chambers of Commerce and business men interested in this particular trade. This latter report was compiled by Professor H. Belshaw, by arrangement with the Department, as a result of inquiries conducted by him on his visit to Japan towards the end of last year. There seems to be no doubt but that the principal difficulty that stands in the way of the development of our trade with the East is the lack of adequate shipjnng facilities. A regular direct shippingservice with refrigerated space would enable several of our products to find a remunerative market in, for instance, Japan and. South China, where at the present time they are either wholly or comparatively unknown. The rapid growth of population in eastern Asiatic countries and the progressive adoption and assimilation of western ideas, habits, and tastes, both in regard to clothing and food, are factors that are bringing about an increasing demand for the products that New Zealand can supply. The values of oar import and export trade with the principal markets of the East are shown in the tables below :—

Value of Exports to Undermentioned Countries.

Value of Imports from Undermentioned Countries (on Basis of Country of Origin).

Country. 1925. 1926. ' 1927. 1928. 1929. £ | £ £ £ £ Ceylon .. .. .. .. 484 94-7 1,764 4,221 7,055 Hong Kong .. .. .. 17.953 13,771 27,304 12,909 12,745 India .. .. .. .. 197.428 i 82,826 145,653 379,338 386,421 Straits Settlement .. .. 21,216 ! 22,074 39,098 31,611 26.556 China .. .. .. .. 6,603 7,599 24,829 34,979 36,348 Japan .. .. .. .. 232,213 162,832 251,547 657,915 428,577 Philippine Islands .. .. 6,319 14,540 9,992 3,415 19,342 Dutch East Indies .. .. 8,016 17,208 22,745 13,939 19,191 Totals .. .. .. 490,232 321,797 522,932 1,138,327 j 936,235

Country. 1925. I 1926. 1927. 1928. j 1929. I I I I £ £ £ £ £ Ceylon .. .. .. •• 844,596 868,821 855,048 860,886 923,748 Hong Kong .. .. .. 17,819 18,610 5,006 7,176 6,907 India .. .. .. ■ • 912,741 861,578 759,829 782,144 766,756 Straits Settlement .. .. 75,745 71,638 80,931 88,501 103,782 China .. .. ■■ 121,043 116,822 107,547 129,533 131,031 Japan .. .. .. .. 693,632 582,352 591,963 576,495 625,714 Philippine Islands .. 51,508 40,992 37,187 30,825 28,929 Dutch East Indies .. .. 610,685 793,457 882,590 999,524 1,152,705 Totals .. .. .. 3,327,769 3,354,270 j 3,320,101 j 3,475,084 3,739,572