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The Pamphlet Collection of Sir Robert Stout: Volume 62

Imports and Exports

Imports and Exports.

The total declared values of the imports in 1890 amounted to 6,260,525l., being a decrease on the total values in 1889 of 48,338l.

The following table shows the value of certain principal articles imported in each of the years 1888, 1889, and 1890; and for the year 1890 the value of such articles imported from the United Kingdom:—
Groups of Principal Articles Imported. 1888. 1889. 1890. Imported from the United Kingdom Id 1890.
£ £ £ £
Apparel and slops 236,707 330,304 319,235 312,671
Boots and shoes 145,742 117,907 127,371 116,706
Cotton piece-goods 266,646 330,534 312,935 308,993
Drapery 508,558 360,226 315,169 309,380
Haberdashery 80,376 74,513 88,945 63,987
Hosiery 55,617 57,992 68,807 68,232
Hats and cans 37,459 53,854 48,927 45,606
Linen manufactures 23,464 44,914 42,605 41,754
Millinery 31,749 22,336 21,384 21,005
Silks 32,694 75,248 76,807 74,908
Woollen piece-goods and blankets 91,001 125,622 150,555 147,777
Totals 1,510,013 1,593,450 1,572,740 1,511,019page 17
Agricultural implements 11,922 7,740 9,602 7,895
Cutlery 13,502 17,883 16,786 16,137
Hardware and ironmongery 140,572 149,207 165,158 134,764
Iron rails and railwaybolts, &c. 13,943 14,016 40,700 36,646
Iron, other—pig, wrought, wire, &c. 248,948 380,897 330,727 319,350
Machinery 164,462 190,676 195,467 137,532
Nails 24,256 24,182 27,408 21,488
Railway plant 23,926 13,161 12,131 10,106
Sewing-machines 10,281 24,981 23,531 2,098
Steel and steel rails 18,214 40,086 50,989 50,029
Tools, artificers' 27,758 38,972 42,930 34,092
Totals 697,784 901,801 915,429 770,137
Sugar 350,637 398,527 383,610 18,354
Tea 186,217 137,925 154,057 1,595
Totals 536,854 536,452 537,667 19,949
Beer 47,852 54,323 54,164 52,015
Spirits 154,594 182,740 144,914 118,250
Tobacco 106,246 105,402 103,064 24,596
Wine 42,407 47,214 50,435 29,403
Totals 351,099 389,679 352,577 224,264
Paper 94,614 107,885 111,896 94,066
Printed books 94,423 110,874 105,344 69,953
Stationery 58,543 66,219 66,793 58,564
Totals 247,580 284,978 284,033 222,583
Bags and sacks 152,140 178,727 59,892 2,083
Coals 98,431 114,053 102,166 4,629
Fancy goods 64,806 69,448 59,745 49,554
Fruits (including fresh, preserved, bottled, dried) 113,311 83,317 108,610 34,114
Oils 121,159 121,232 111,720 43,332
Other imports (excluding specie) 1,536,873 *1,707,446 1,824,316 1,335,802
Totals (excluding specie") 5,430,050 *5,980,583 5,928,895 4,217,466
Specie imported 511,850 328,280 331,630 3,804
Total imports 5,941,900 *6,308,863 6,260,525 4,221,270

There was an increase in 1890 in the value of the imports from the United Kingdom to the extent of 83,193l., or nearly at the rate of page 18 2 per cent. The increase in the value of imports from Germany amounted to 31,3392.—a comparatively small amount, but very large having regard to the value of imports in 1889, which amounted to only 18,9642. The increase in 1890 was thus at the rate of 165 per cent.—another evidence of the enterprise of the German merchants, which has been very noticeable in recent years. The principal increases in imports from other countries were in those from Belgium, the United States, and the Fiji and Pacific islands.

The following are the values of imports from different countries in 1889 and 1890, given in the order of the increase or decrease from each;—
Country. 1889. 1890. Increase.
£ £ £
United Kingdom 4,138,077 4,221,270 83,193
Germany 18,964 50,303 31,339
United States 342,536 355,395 12,859
Pacific Islands 26,213 38,235 12,022
Fiji and Norfolk Island 127,131 138,274 11,143
Belgium 2,420 5,714 3,294
Canada and New Brunswick 3,132 4,100 968
West Indies 83 83 Decrease.
India and Ceylon 204,373 132,847 71,526
Hongkong and China 111,621 59,421 52,200
Mauritius 129,943 91,520 38,423
Australia and Tasmania 1,107,132 1,087,593 19,539
Java 44,026 36,120 7,906
Philippine Islands 19,239 12,478 6,761
Japan 8,297 5,708 2,589
France 7,231 5,851 1,380
Other European countries 6,978 6,149 829
Asia Minor 1,110 382 728
Singapore 7,922 7,384 538
Cape Colony 77 1 76
Brazil 5 .. 5

The value of all the exports in 1890 was 9,811,7202l., against 9,341,8642l. in 1889, an increase of 469,8562l. The exports in 1889 were of greater value than those in 1888 by 1,571,940l. The value of exports in 1890 was thus greater than that in 1888 by 2,041,796l., an increase for the two years at the rate of over 26 per cent. The value of New Zealand produce exported in 1890 amounted to 9,428,761l., being at the rate of 15l. 3s. 5d. per head of population. In 1889 the value of home produce exported was 9,044,607l.

The total value of the external trade in 1890 was 16,072,2452., equivalent to 25l. 17s. 9d. per head of the population, excluding Maoris.

page 19

The trade with the United Kingdom amounted to 11,622,620l., being an increase of 896,627l. on that in 1889. This trade comprised 72.3 per cent, of the total trade in 1890, against 68.6 per cent, in 1889.

The trade with the Australian colonies and Tasmania in 1890 amounted to 2,721,841l., against 3,252,803l. in 1889, a decrease of 530,962l., which was chiefly caused by a contraction in the value of exports from New Zealand to those colonies to the extent of 511,423l. The trade with New South Wales amounted to 1,261,561l., of which the exports thereto amounted in value to 885,737l., which included New Zealand produce to the extent of 770,679l., or to more than double the value of all the imports from New South Wales, which amounted in 1890 to 375,824l. The trade with Victoria amounted to 1,157,585l., a decrease on the amount in 1889 of 201,852l. The exports thereto amounted to 567,727l, in value; of these, the value of New Zealand produce was 440,569l., including gold of the value of 290,674l.

The amount of colonial produce sent to New Zealand from the Australian colonies is small compared with the amount of New Zealand produce sent to Australia. This is shown by the following table-statement of the trade between New Zealand and New South Wales and Victoria:—
Exports from New Zealand to New Zealand Produce. Total Export.
£ £
New South Wales, 1890 770,670 885,737
Victoria, 1890 410,569 567,727
Exports to New Zealand from Home Produce. Total Export to New Zealand.
£ £
New South Wales, 1890 142,071 294,113
Victoria, 1889 147,998 356,212

Of the 142,071l. exported from New South Wales, 86,453l. was the value of the coal sent. Of the 147,998l. exported from Victoria, 110,000l. consisted of gold coin minted in Melbourne.

page 20

The trade with Fiji made again an advance in the year. In 1888 it was 149,839l.; in 1889, 170,181l.; and in 1890, 184,684l. The trade with the other Pacific Islands and Norfolk Island increased from 127,727l. to 135,592l.

The trade with the United States increased greatly in 1890, viz. from 683,798l. in 1889 to 938,529l., this last amount being the greatest on record. The following table shows the value of the total trade with that country in each of the past ten years:—
Trade with the United States.
Year. Imports from Exports to Total Trade.
Atlantic Ports. Pacific Ports. Atlantic Ports. Pacific Ports.
£ £ £ £ £
1881 302,138 41,507 116,629 239,158 699,432
1882 398,153 65,340 126,583 308,101 898,177
1883 357,871 61,379 158,426 272,563 850,239
1884 300,185 48,372 183,939 30,430 562,926
1885 366,873 34,659 130,053 274,825 806,410
1886 304,571 32,751 166,926 80,474 584,722
1887 263,377 35,359 241,388 168,092 708,216
1888 285,864 37,205 204,302 119,414 646,785
1889 307,156 35,280 242,778 98,584 683,798
1890 321,047 34,348 364,332 218,802 938,529

Of the exports to the United States in 1890 the value of New Zealand products amounted to 478,594l., the principal items being the following: Kauri-gum, 262,213l.; Phormium, 138,416/l.; gold, 63,681l.; sheepskins, 5040l.; and sausage-skins, 4756l. No wool was exported thither in 1890.

The trade with India decreased from 217,346l. in 1889, to 137,389l. in 1890—at the rate of 37 per cent. The value of imports fell from 204,373l. to 132,847l., and that of exports thereto from 12,973l. to 4542l. These exports in 1890 consisted mainly of three items, viz. horses, of the value of 3050l.; cheese, 538l.; and preserved meats, 631l.; leaving only 499l. for distribution among minor items.

Ceylon and Burmah are included in the term India, but the imports from Ceylon increased from 10,227l. in 1889 to 19,264l. in 1890.

The following table gives the value of the imports and exports of the Australasian colonies for the year 1890:— page 21
Colony. Total Value of Excess of
Imports. Exports. Imports over Exports. Exports over Imports.
£ £ £ £
New Zealand 6,260,525 9,811,720 .. 3,551,195
Queensland 5,066,700 8,554,512 .. 3,487,812
New South Wales 22,615,004 22,045,937 569,067 ..
Victoria 22,954,015 13,266,222 9,687,793 ..
South Australia 8,262,673 8,827,378 .. 564,705
Western Australia 874,447 671,813 202,634 ..
Tasmania 1,897,512 1,486,992 410,520 ..
Totals 67,930,876 64,664,574 3,266,302 ..
The following shows the value of home productions or manufactures exported from each colony in 1890, and the rate per head of the population:—
Colony. Home Produce exported. Per Head of Population.
£ £ s. d.
New Zealand 9,428,761 15 3 9
Queensland 8,412,244 20 5 8
New South Wales 17,232,725 15 12 8
Victoria 10,291,821 9 4 0
South Australia 4,410,062 14 3 2
Western Australia 659,661 14 12 5
Tasmania 1,430,806 9 19 1
The amount of trade of each of these colonies with the United Kingdom in 1890 is set forth below:—
Colony. Imports from the United Kingdom. Exports to the United Kingdom. Total Trade with the United Kingdom.
£ £ £
New Zealand 4,221,270 7,401,350 11,622,620
Queensland 2,120,071 2,365,673 4,485,744
New South Wales 8,628,007 6,623,431 15,251,438
Victoria 9,607,193 6,850,014 16,457,207
South Australia 2,483,416 4,296,647 6,780,063
Western Australia 415,149 335,162 750,311
Tasmania 680,760 323,239 1,003,999

The following statement shows the relative importance of the Australasian Colonies as markets for the productions of the United Kingdom:—

page 22
Exports of Home Promotion from the United Kingdom in 1890 to
£
British India and Ceylon 34,562,616
United States 32,068,128
Australasia— £
Queensland 2,128,216
New South Wales 7,334, 666
Victoria 7,101,348
South Australia 2,040,559
Western Australia 464,209
Tasmania 609,344
New Zealand 3,314,482
Fiji 13,180
23,006,004
Germany 19,293,626
France 16,567,927
Holland 10,121,160
China and Hongkong 9,138,429
Cape of Good Hope and Natal 9,128,164
Argentine Republic 8,416,112
Italy 7,757,862
Belgium 7,638,712
Brazil 7,458,628
Canada 6,827,023
Turkey 6,772,061
Russia 5,751,601
Spain 4,999,705
Japan 4,081,793
Egypt 3,381,830
Chili 3,130,072
Sweden 3,061,976

The exports of home produce to other countries did not in any case amount to 3,000,000l.

The amounts given as the value of exports of home produce from the United Kingdom to the several Australasian colonies differ widely from the values given of all imports into the colonies from the United Kingdom, because the latter include more than British products, and the twelve months for arrival into the colonies of those exports would not correspond with the twelve months during which they were exported; the time of transit must be allowed for.

The Australian colonies as a whole, with a population under 4,000,000, thus takes third place in importance as consumers of British produce, the exports thereto being about two-thirds of the value of the similar exports to British India, with its 285,000,000 inhabitants-

The principal productions of these colonies will, for a lengthened period, consist of those arising from pastoral, agricultural, and mining pursuits. The immense areas of land capable of improvement and more beneficial occupation, and the large mineral resources only partially developed, forbid any expectation for a very considerable time of such an increase in manufacturing industries as would enable colonial to page 23 supersede English products to any very material extent. The consumption per head of the population may be somewhat less in the future as the proportion of adults decreases owing to lessened immigration and increase by births; but the relatively high rates of wages, and the absence of causes for any extensive pauperism, will make the proportionate consumption of products for a long time high. The rapid growth of the Australasian population may thus be expected to largely increase the demand for British products, and the future of the trade between the United Kingdom and the Australasian colonies will probably be such as to make them by a long way the principal markets for those products, and very important factors in the progress of the Imperial commonwealth.

London: Printed by William Clowes and Sons, Limited, Stamford Street and Charing Cross.