H.—44.

The President's power to conclude trade agreements under the Trade Agreements Act has been extended to 12th June, 1940, and great interest attaches to the negotiations at present taking place between the United States and the United Kingdom for an Anglo-American agreement. Figures dlustrative of the growth of trade with those countries with which agreements have been made under the Trade Agreements Act are interesting : — Per United States exports to all trade-agreement countries : Increase, 1937, over Cent. 1936 .. .. .. .. •• •• ■- 40-6 Total, all non-agreement countries: Increase, 1937, over 1936 .. 33-7 United States imports from all trade-agreement countries : Increase, 1937, over 1936.. .. .. . . •■ • • ■ ■ .. 18-1 Total, all non-agreement countries Increase, 1937, over 1936 .. 34-1 TRADE WITH BRITISH WEST INDIES. Perusal of Table XV, showing the total trade with the British West Indies, shows that our direct exports to that colony increased, and in 1937 reached the highest point ever recorded, surpassing the 1935 figure by £976.

Table XV. —Total Trade with British West Indies.

Imports from Jamaica comprise chiefly oranges, £12,786 (£16,671); grapefruit, £1,379 (£1,190) ; cocoa-beans, £11,187 (£6,455) ; rum., £15,144 (£8,213) ; asphalt and bitumen, £2,02] (£5,654) ; and spices, £2,834 (£2,275). Other items of minor importance are coffee, fruit-juices, spirits, cigars, dyes, and essential oils. The principal exports are shown in Table XYI hereunder, and of these it is seen that butter accounts for over 95 per cent, of our total exports to the colony.

Table XVI. —Principal Exports.

TRADE WITH SOUTH AMERICA. Our trade with South American countries showed a very remarkable growth in 1937, due, so far as exports were concerned, to the failure of the potato crops in the Argentine and Uruguay. Of the £203,563 representing exports to all South American countries, no less than £165,529 was accounted for by exports of potatoes, other exports being apples and live sheep.

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„ , „ , . j Direct Exports to Imports from Excess of Exports Calendar Year. Total Trade. Jamaica. Jamaica. over Imports. 1 £ £ £ £ 1933 .. .. .. 37,021 20,864 16,157 4,707 1934 .. .. .. 69,911 42,228 27,683 14,545 1935 .. .. 109,973 53,966 56,007 2,041 1936 .. .. .. 93,773 48,796 44,977 3,819* 1937 .. .. .. 105,591 54,942 50,649 4,293 ft * Excess of imports over exports.

Principal Exports. Item. ICalendar Year, 1936. Calendar Year, 1937. £(N.Z.) £(N.Z.) Butter .. .. .. .. 45,866 52,353 Cheese .. .. .. .. 213 394 Frozen meat .. .. .. 1,079 614 Tinned meat.. .. .. .. .. 27 Dried and condensed milk .. .. 460 507 Tallow .. .. .. .. 806 Other items .. .. .. .. 372 1,047 Totals.. .. .. .. 48,796 54,942