COMMERCE, INTERNATIONAL. 



181 



to be levied on imports which compete with 

 uutivo products, with a view to protect home 

 industries from foreign competition. Of this, 

 from 34 to 49 million marks is to bo imposed 

 on agricultural and forest products, to wit: 80 

 to 41 millions on cereals, cattle, cheese, butter, 

 etc., and 4 to 8 millions on products of the 

 ; and 18 to 28 millions on mechanical 

 products, to wit: 6 to 12 millions on iron and 

 jii:ichinery, 9 to 12 millions on textile fabrics, 

 uuil '} to 4 millions on other industrial products. 



In Italy the imports declined from 1,327,- 

 187,301 francs in 1876 to 1,148,049,418 francs 

 in 1877 ; and the exports in a still greater mea- 

 sure, from 1,216,929,416 francs to 967,867,551 

 francs, thus increasing an adverse balance from 

 110 to 180 millions and reducing the total vol- 

 nme of trade by 16 per cent. In 1878 the total 

 trade remained about the same as in 1877, but 

 an increase in the exports to 1,040,789,181 

 francs and a diminution in the imports to 1,- 

 070,802,434 francs reduced the adverse balance 

 to only 30 millions. The principal reduction 

 in the imports took place under the following 

 heads, the values being stated in millions of 

 francs: Spirits, beverages, and oils, 17; colo- 

 nial products, 24; cottons, 23 ; metals and min- 

 erals, 26. Under the following heads there 

 was an increased importation to the follow- 

 ing amounts : Chemical products, 2 ; hemp and 

 flax and their products, 7 ; grain and flour, 32. 

 Among the exports there was a diminution of 

 15 millions in oils and beverages, 2 millions in 

 paper, 8 millions in cereals, flour, and pastes, 

 and 11 millions in animals, etc. The augmen- 

 tations chiefly arose under the following heads : 

 Colors and tanners' materials, 8; hemp and 

 flax, 14 ; cottons, 6 ; wool, 3 ; silk, 49 ; wood 

 and straw, 7 ; stone, earths, and glass, 5. 



The trade statistics of Italy for the first half 

 of 1879 show a continued favorable state of 

 commerce. The imports for the six months 

 were of the value of 607,251,075 francs, against 

 587,956,841 francs in the corresponding part 

 of 1878. The exports were 586,435,744 francs, 

 against 516,082,083 francs in 1878. The in- 

 crease of 19 millions or 8-28 per cent, in the 

 imports is found under the general head of 

 sugar, tobacco, and other colonial products, 

 which is put down for 106,090,275 francs, 

 against 57,125,043 francs in the first half of 

 1878. The proposal of the Government to raise 

 the duties on sugar, coffee, and petroleum ex- 

 cited an unusual importation of those articles, 

 particularly of sugar, of which 500,000 quin- 

 tals more were imported than in the corre- 

 sponding previous half year. Other articles 

 which show an increased importation are tan- 

 ning materials, hides, coal, and horses. The 

 stimulated trade in colonial wares produced an 

 increase of over 25 million francs, or about 50 

 per cent., in the customs receipts. The un- 

 usual and anticipated demand for sugar and 

 coffee was nearly set off by a decline in the im- 

 portation of foreign manufactures. Among the 

 textiles, there was a decrease of 7,000 quintals 



in the imports of flax, hemp, and jute materi- 

 als, 11,000 quintals in cotton yarn, 9,000 quin- 

 tals in cotton goods, 7,000 quintals in linen and 

 jute manufactures, and 7,000 quintal! in wool- 

 ens. There was a slight decrease among tho 

 exports in dried fruit, straw hate, lead, and 

 live stock. There were considerable increases, 

 on the other hand, in the export of wines, 

 olive oil, lime-juice, tanning materials, hemp, 

 raw and thrown silk, paper, dressed skins, sul- 

 phur, rice, oranges and lemons, almonds, and 

 dried figs. 



The import trade of Egypt in 1876 amounted 

 to 162,903,786 francs ; the exports were 825,- 

 614,015 francs, an increase of 8,846,099 francs 

 over those of the preceding year. England 

 takes nearly two thirds of the Egyptian ex- 

 ports, France about one quarter, and Italy, the 

 next best customer, not over 6 per cent. In 

 the articles of export, cotton preponderates 

 over all the others, figuring for 213 million 

 francs, and cotton-seed for nearly 38 millions ; 

 the export of cereals amounted to 26 millions, 

 that of sugar to 17i millions. A considerable 

 trade is done in the products of Central Af- 

 rica, which are exchanged by the natives for 

 English calicoes, copper, and fire-arms, and 

 brought by caravans to Khartoum or the ports 

 of the Red Sea: gums are exported to the 

 value of 8 million francs, ostrich-plumes 8 

 millions, skins 2J- millions, and ivory 1| mil- 

 lion. The principal trade in these articles is 

 with Franco, who takes the coffee, the drugs, 

 the skins, the gums, the wax, and the ostrich- 

 feathers, which are brought from the White 

 Nile, Dongola, and Kordofan. The elephant 

 and hippopotamus ivory goes to Austria. The 

 oil of roses and other essences are sent to 

 Turkey and the Levant. The chief imports 

 into Egypt are woods for building purposes 

 from Austria and Turkey ; coal and iron from 

 England; fruits and provisions from France, 

 Austria, Greece, and Syria; marbles from Ita- 

 ly and Austria ; manufactures and machinery 

 principally from Great Britain ; oils, furniture, 

 paper, silks, wines, and liquors from the port 

 of Marseilles ; and tobacco from Greece, Tur- 

 key, and Syria. England and France are tho 

 largest sellers to Egypt. The imports of pe- 

 troleum from the United States show a diminu- 

 tion of 300,000 francs in 1876. The total im- 

 ports into Egypt in 1876 were 5,033,142 franca 

 less in value than in the preceding year. This 

 diminution, however, did not affect the lead- 

 ing commercial nations of Europe, as tho im- 

 portations from Great Britain showed an in- 

 crease of 5 millions for iron, coal, and manu- 

 factures; those from Austria showed an in- 

 crease of li million francs for timber. The 

 importations of breadstnffs from Russia also 

 increased slightly ; and those from France were 

 somewhat greater. 



The foreign trade returns of British India 

 for 1877-'78 show a larger total than in any 

 previous year. This increase, however, is not 

 attributable to the improved prosperity of the 



