186 



COMMERCE OF THE UNITED STATES. 



Of the imports of foreign merchandise in 

 1878, sugar and molasses was the heaviest item, 

 making 18-27 per cent, of the total of $437,- 

 051,532; coffee, 11'88; woolens and raw wool, 

 7*69 ; silk goods and raw silk, 5'91 ; chemicals, 

 drugs, dyes, and medicines, 5 '66 ; cottons, 4*47 ; 

 hides and skins, 3'94; tea, 3'58; linens, 3'57; 

 tin, 2'79 ; fruits, 2'36 ; iron and steel and man- 

 ufactures, 2-07; breadstuffs, 2-02; leather and 

 leather goods, l'7l ; tobacco and manufactures, 

 1-47; wood and manufactures, 1-32 ; provisions, 



1-31 ; wines and spirits, 1-26 ; India-rubber, 

 1*13 ; and the remaining 14*86 per cent, was 

 about half composed of manufactures. 



The countries which take the largest share 

 in the commerce of the United States, accord- 

 ing to the returns for 1877-'78, with the total 

 imports from and the total exports of domestic 

 products to each, in millions of dollars, and the 

 percentage of each in the total commerce of the 

 United States, in the total export trade, and 

 the total import trade, are as follows : 



The proportion in which Mexico, Central 

 America, and the "West Indies entered into the 

 total commerce was 10-49 per cent. Inter- 

 course with South America formed 8'03 per 

 cent, of the total trade. The share of British 

 America was 5'55 per cent., making the trade 

 with American countries 24-07 of the total vol- 

 ume. Asia's share, with that of Japan and the 

 East Indian islands, 4'83 per cent.; that of 

 Australasia, 0'70 ; that of the other islands of 

 the Pacific, 1'08; that of Africa and adjacent 

 islands, 0-57 ; and that of all other islands and 

 ports, 0-05 per cent, of the total export and 

 import trade. 



Of the foreign commerce of 1878, 68'70 per 

 cent, of the total of 1,146 million dollars, or 

 787 millions, was with the countries of Eu- 

 rope, with all of which there was a heavy 

 balance in favor of the United States. Europe 

 received 583 million dollars' worth, or 82-18 

 per cent., of the total exports of the United 

 States, and furnished 157 millions worth, or 

 46-67 per cent., of the total imports into the 

 United States. 



Great Britain received 54-57 per cent, of the 

 total exports from the United States, and fur- 

 nished 24-55 per cent, of the imports. The 

 favorable balance amounted to 280 million dol- 



lars, or 2f times the total imports from Great 

 Britain. The value of raw cotton exported to 

 Great Britain was 117 million dollars, or 65-23 

 per cent, of the total export ; the value of bread- 

 stuffs, 125 millions, or 69-21 per cent, of the ex- 

 ports, to which may be added a considerable 

 portion of the exports to Canada, making per- 

 haps 75 per cent, in all. The value of the 

 exports of provisions to the United Kingdom 

 was 80 million dollars, or 64-91 per cent, of 

 the total export, and with the Canadian im- 

 ports added 67'12 per cent. The other prin- 

 cipal exports to Great Britain were : tobacco, 

 9-1 millions; petroleum, 6'8, or 13-97 per cent. 

 of the total export ; oilcake, 4-9 ; leather and 

 manufactures, 4-7; wood and manufactures, 

 4-2; live animals and tallow, 3*1 each. Among 

 the other manufactures England took 1 mil- 

 lion worth of iron and steel products and 1*4 

 million worth of cotton fabrics. The values of 

 the principal imports from the United King- 

 dom were: woolens, 14 millions; linens, 13-1; 

 cottons, 10-3, or 64-17 per cent, of the total 

 imports ; tin and manufactures, 9'5 ; iron and 

 steel and manufactures, 6 ; soda, 4-4 ; pottery, 

 3 ; hides and skins, 2-9 ; silk manufactures, 2 -7 ; 

 drugs, etc., 2-7. 

 The commerce with France formed 8 - 61 per 



