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The Pamphlet Collection of Sir Robert Stout: Volume 69

Exports and Imports

Exports and Imports.

The import and export tables that were prepared for the Indian and Colonial Exhibition in London commence with the year 1841, while the statistics of the Registrar-General only begin with the year 1853. For the sake of simplicity the totals are added together for the periods of ten years:—
Date. Imports. Exports. C'tms Rev.
1841-1850 £1,893,542 £641,725 £206,839
1851-1860 8,247,734 3,441,719 1,094973
1861-1870 52,080,558 37,034,837 6,641237
1871-1880 69,007,653 57,275,471 11,195711
1881-1889 64,427,687 64,164,137 11,181,473

The Registrar-General has published in the broad sheet attached to the volume of statistics for 1888 the figures of Dr. Thomson, in his "Story of New Zealand," which, he says, "is stated by Sir George Grey to have been supplied from official sources when he was Governor;" but the official figures of the Customs differ very widely from those published by Dr. Thomson.

The exports for 1889 were the largest recorded, being £9,131,373.

Customs duties were first levied in Auckland and Russell on 1st July, 1841, and in Wellington on 25th August of the same year. They were abolished by Governor Fitzroy on 28th September, 1844, by an ordinance imposing a rate upon real property, which ordinance was repealed on the 8th April 1845, when Customs duties were again levied. The first tariff was as follows: Spirits or strong waters, not being the produce of the United Kingdom, or any British possession in America, or of New South Wales, or Van Diemen's and, per gallon, 5s; spirits or strong waters, being the produce of British page 13 possessions, 4s per gallon; wine, for every £100 in value, £15; tobacco, per lb, unmanufactured, 9d; ditto, manufactured, 1s; cigars and snuff, 2s; tea, sugar, flour, meal, wheat, rice, and other grain and pulse, for every £100 in value, £5; on all other goods (except goods the produce and manufacture of the United Kingdom, or of New South Wales, or Van Diemen's Land), for every £100 in value, £10.