COMMERCE AND NAVIGATION OF THE UNITED STATES. 



197 



in value, which was counterbalanced by an in- 

 crease of nearly equal amount in the imports 

 from other South American countries. 



The following table shows the values of the 

 merchandise imports from the principal foreign 

 countries in 1882 and 1886, and the percentage 

 of the total imports coming from each country 

 in 1886 : 



The imports from other countries amounted 

 to the value of $26,815,400 in 1886, forming 

 4-22 per cent, of the total imports. The im- 

 ports from Great Britain decreased steadily 

 from $195,588,692 in 1882 to $136,701,780 in 



1885, and rose again in 1886 with the general 

 improvement in the import trade. The im- 

 ports from Germany have steadily increased 

 from $32,509,365 in 1877 to more than double 

 that sum. They embrace a wide range of man- 

 ufactured products, but the principal increase 

 has been in cotton and woolen manufactures, 

 fancy articles, glassware, silk goods, and man- 

 ufactures of iron and steel. The exports to 

 Germany have increased, but at a slow rate, 

 and instead of a large excess of exports in the 

 trade with Germany, which excess amounted 

 to $25,598,068 in 1877, there was a balance of 

 trade of $7,193,804 in favor of Germany in 



1886. The trade with Italy shows the same 

 rapid growth on the side of imports, and a 

 shifting of the balance of trade, notwithstand- 

 ing an increase of exports. The imports of 

 French products are always large, and in pros- 

 perous years expand suddenly, but the export 

 trade to France has fallen away to less than 

 half of what it was six or eight years ago. In 

 1886 the imports landed on the wharves of 

 New York constituted 65*99 per cent, of the 

 total value of the imports of merchandise; 

 those received at Boston 9*20 per cent., those 

 landed at San Francisco 5'85 per cent., and at 

 Philadelphia 5*76 per cent., while Baltimore 

 imported 1-84 per cent, of the total value, Chi- 

 cago 1'60 per cent., New Orleans 1'28 per 

 cent., and all other ports 8*48 per cent. 



Exports. The decline in the value of domes- 



tic exports, amounting to $60,718,417, was in 

 the exports of breadstuff's, provisions, refined 

 sugar, cattle, and copper. The" falling off of 

 exports to Europe was about $57,000,000. In 

 the exports to Great Britain it was nearly $50,- 

 000,000, and to France $4,556,000. There was 

 a decrease in the exports to South America of 

 $1,689,000. The exports to France, which 

 amounted to $98,889,209 in 1880, fell away to 

 $40,096,000 in 1886, owing chiefly to the ex- 

 clusion of American pork, and also to a de- 

 crease in the lard and wheat exports to that 

 country. The exports of cotton to Germany 

 increased from 77,605,283 pounds, valued at 

 $9,061,899, in 1877, to 284,717,581 pounds, 

 valued at $28,494,555, in 1886; but the ex- 

 ports of petroleum to Germany fell off, owing 

 to the competition of the Russian oil, from the 

 value of $17,262,964 in 1877 to $7,752,121 in 

 1886. 



The exports of agricultural products in 1886 

 amounted to $484,954,595, constituting 72*82 

 per cent, of the total value of the domestic ex- 

 ports ; the exports of manufactured products 

 were $106,419,692, 15-98 per cent, of the total ; 

 the exports of mining products, inclusive of 

 mineral oils, were $57,994,553, or 8*71 per 

 cent, of the exports; the exports of forest 

 products were $6,743,727, equal to T01 per 

 cent. ; the exports of the products of the fish- 

 eries were $5,138,806 in value, their percent- 

 age being 0'77; and all other exports amount- 

 ed to $4,713,156, or 0'71 percent, of the whole. 



The following table exhibits the value of the 

 principal domestic exports in 1885-'86, as com- 

 pared with the values in 1880-'81, the year of 

 the largest exports : 



