Evening star., 1948-12-26
British Selling
MOretOCanada
Dominion's u. S. Imports
Decrease, While Her
Exports Increase
D. kl~.&:n p@ee
Bv Martin Ross

O4 La AWA.-NOON ACWo Ava SeAAA
ada and for other commonwealth
countries is contained in Canadian
trade figures for the first nine
months of 1948. They show re-
markable progress by Britain In
increasing exports to Canada and
reducing purchases from her, and
by Canada herself in correcting the
drain of United States dollars, which
this time last year had driven her
reserves down to rockbottom.
In IL months Canada has con-
verted her trade balance with the
United States from deficit running
at the rate of s900,000,000 a year
into a small favorable balance. In
September, at least, the balance of
trade with the United States was
In Canada's favor to the extent of
$11,000,000 and the total trade
deficit for nine months of 1948
Cat $265 ,000,O was only just
over third of last years (s718,000,-
600 for the same period.
Sell More to L. S.
This has been achieved partly by
buying less from the United States,
but mainly by selling more to her.
Purchases were cut in the nine
month period by $145, 100000, but
exports to the United States were
increased by $308, 100000.
Just year ago, in mid-November,
the Canadian government an
nounced dollar-Saving program
which included drastic restrictions
on imports from the United States
and a less clear-cut program for
encouraging exports to the United
States. Most economists thought
the program would be slow in its
effects and of longer duration
than the government optimistically
prophesied. The speed with which
the improvement has been achieved
Is a pleasant surprise. The import
restrictions are even being relaxed
gradually. Fruit and vegetables,
whose import had been forbidden
since last November, are now ad-
mitted again.
The Canadian figures also make
good reading for Britain and other
sterling countries. For Canada it is
disappointing not to be able to sell
more to the sterling area and Cana
dian exporters are constantly pro-
testing; but the same hard necessity
that restricts her exports leads her
to welcome increased imports from
sterling countries.
Cotton Exports Disappoint
In 1947 the United Kingdom man
aged to send to Canada only one
quarter (by value) of what she
bought from her. In September
1948, exports paid for half what
Britain brought from Canada. Over
the first nine months exports were
two-thirds higher than in the same
period of 1947; they rose from 1873
million dollars in 1947 to 217 million
dollars in 1948. At the same time
imports from Canada were reduced
from 543 million to 516 million
dollars.
Britain's trade deficit with Canada
over the whole year should not be
more than f100 million, compared
with s14o million in 1s47.
The major disappointment among
British exports was In cotton textiles
which are far behind the promised
quota; but they are still nearly -four
times the 1947 figure. Machinery
with long gap between orders and
deliveries, shows only a small in
crease; but British cars have earned
95 million dollars this year, COM
pared with only Is million dollars
in the same period last year. The
years export goal of 2S0 million dol
lars looks like being reached easily
Canada is buying more from other
British countries as well as from the
United Kingdom. The first nine
months Of the gear showed a small
drop in imports from New Zealand
and an equally small rise from South
Africa. But there were substantial
rises from Australia (from II to II
million dollars from Malaga az
to Is million dollars) and from
Newfoundland and the British West
indies GO to SO million dollars).
tcanads Wide Feature ServiceJ a