Samoa’S Trade
p. 54 · Read in the full issue
1936 Figures Show Good Improvement
From Our Own Correspondent APIA, July 2. r T I HE Trade, Commerce, and Shipping Report for the year 1.936 was re cently published by the Administration.
It shows remarkable improvements in the trade figures as compared with not only the year 1935, but the whole depres sion period which began in Western Samoa in 1930.
The imports, exports, and total trade figures all are the highest in value since
1931. They are as follows (1935 figures given for comparison):
The following are the first ten countries in order of preference from which Samoan imports originated: New Zealand, £52,829 ; United Kingdom, £30,413 ; Australia, £27,448 ; Japan, £17,781 : U.S.A., £11,636; Canada, £7,239 ; Dutch East Indies, £5,959; Fiji, £4,464; India, £4,114; Germany, £1,176.
Detailed figures for imports show that Japanese importations consisted practically exclusively of or about two-thirds of the total importations of drapery during 1936. New Zea land chiefly supplied meats, sugar and butter; Australia, flour and rice; Canada, preserved fish and timber; U.S.A., oils and motor cars; Dutch East Indies, oils; Fiji, soap; England, drapery, paints, hardware, drugs and machinery; and India, bags and sacks.
Import duty, including Port and Service Tax, levied by the Customs amounted to £36,668.
Of the exports, less than half went to the British Empire. The following countries were the main purchasers of Samoan produce: United Kingdom, £64,570 (copra and cocoa) ; New Zea land, £56,869 (mainly bananas) ; Netherlands, £17,682 (copra) ; Mexico, £15,470 (copra) ; U.S.A., £14,762 (cocoa-beans) ; and European countries, (exact destination unknown), £91,448.
The export figures show an appreciable increase against former years in quantities as well as in values. Cocoa-beans amounted to 1,065 tons, the highest figure for any previous year, with the exception of the record year 1917 (1207 tons).
The export of cocoa-beans in 1935 amounted to 576 tons. The, 1936 value, £46,607, is the highest for the last four years and more than double the value in 1935 (£19,639). The main consumer of Samoan cocoa-beans was England, which took over half of the year’s exports.
The copra export was valued at £156,873 against £108,695 in 1935. The quantity was the highest since 1929, and the value the highest for six years. Banana exports were 128,945 cases, valued at £46,737, the highest since the banana export industry was started in 1928. Over 50 tons of rubber, valued at £3,408, constituted the highest rubber expoi’t since 1931. The 1935 pro duction was 25 tons (£1,372). Among other exports were hides, papain, curios, pineapples, tobacco, and various produce in small quantities.
The following table shows a comparison ot produce exported from Samoa in 1935 and 1936:
1936 1935 Imports £167,020 £135,757 Exports £263,255 £189,298 Total Trade £430,275 £325,055
Copra Cocoa-beans Bananas Ruboer Year Tons Tons Cases Tons 1935 ... 12,501 576 109,000 25 1936 13,014 1,065 128,045 51 A total export duty of £38,140 was levied by the Customs.