§ 1. Mr. KELLY (for Mr. ROBINSON)asked the President of the Board of Trade if the reduction of 45.6 per cent., as shown between the years 1924 and 1926, in respect of exports from Great Britain to 643 Japan was due to a depreciation in value of the goods exported or to a reduction in the quantity of the goods exported; and if he will state the trades in which the largest decline tok place?
§ Sir B. CHADWICKThe answer is long and includes a table of figures. The hon. Member will perhaps agree to my circulating it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Sir B. CHADWICKNo, I could not 'fix on the goods. I should say that, as regards the reduction of 45 per cent. in the value of the exports, the hon. Member must bear in mind that the earthquake in Japan in 1923 caused a very heavy export trade to Japan in 1924, and also he must bear in mind that in 1926 there was a very low export of goods to all countries.
| PRODUCE AND MANUFACTURES OF THE UNITED KINGDOM EXPORTED TO JAPAN. | |||||
| Commodity. | Units of Quantity. | Quantity Exported. | Declared Value. | ||
| 1924. | 1926. | 1924. | 1926. | ||
| Iron and steel and manufactures thereof: | £ | £ | |||
| Steel bars, rods, etc., other than sheet and tinplate bars. | Ton | 12,795 | 5,232 | 170,842 | 73,558 |
| Iron and steel plates and sheets, not under 1/8", other than armour plates, not galvanised, not tinned. | Ton | 2,662 | 975 | 35,714 | 11,429 |
| Iron and steel plates and black sheets under 1/8" thick, other than black plates. | Ton | 159,381 | 75,922 | 3,158,753 | 1,091,241 |
| Plates and sheets coated: | |||||
| Galvanised sheets (flat and corrugated). | Ton | 7,471 | 996 | 185,610 | 17,075 |
| Tinned and terne plates, etc. | Ton | 22,545 | 15,319 | 566,668 | 311,788 |
| Tubes, pipes and fittings, wrought | Ton | 1,365 | 1,707 | 50,856 | 61,372 |
| Textile machinery | Ton | 8,943 | 6,960 | 1,026,046 | 734,449 |
| Cotton piece goods: | |||||
| Grey, unbleached | Sq. yds. | 1,292,600 | 445,800, | 75,575 | 16,151 |
| White, bleached | Sq. yds. | 6,619,100 | 3,740,200 | 331,389 | 175,407 |
| Printed, all kinds | Sq. yds. | 3,240,900 | 1,619,700 | 181,248 | 89,095 |
| Dyed in the piece | Sq. yds. | 6,489,000 | 3,913,500 | 576,023 | 316,532 |
| Of dyed yarn (coloured cottons) | Sq. yds. | 2,213,800 | 1,103,900 | 123,229 | 47,615 |
| Wool, tops | Cental of 100 1bs. | 65,359 | 37,604 | 1,676,425 | 767,591 |
| Worsted yarns, combed | 1bs. | 4,943,000 | 1,864,000 | 1,124,136 | 303,235 |
| Woollen tissues | Sq. yds. | 29,702,900 | 9,768,400 | 4,994,520 | 1,928,267 |
| Worsted tissues | Sq. yds. | 8,050,600 | 2,498,000 | 1,287,500 | 459,553 |
| Silk (mixed) piece goods | Sq. yds. | 214,874 | 60,789 | 101,713 | 22,574 |
| Linen piece goods | Sq. yds. | 487,200 | 311,600 | 46,111 | 25,096 |
| Ammonium sulphate | Ton | 58,980 | 39,517' | 802,551 | 480,600 |
§ Following is the answer:
§ The value of the produce and manufactures of the United Kingdom exported and consigned to Japan was £26,705,000 in 1924 and £13,863,000 in 1926; i.e., a drop of 481 per cent. in the later year. The average values of all British exports were 8.3 per cent. lower in 1926 than in 1924, but the change in the average values of the exports consigned to Japan may have differed from that for exports to all countries. I would remind the hon. Member that our exports to Japan were larger in 1924 because of the earthquake in Japan in 1923, while in 1926 our exports to all countries were adversely affected by the coal stoppage.
§ The following statement shows the quantities and values of the principal British exports to Japan in 1924 and 1926, as far as the figures are available from the United Kingdom Monthly Trade Returns: