IMPORTS AND EXPORTS 69 



valuable as their exports, which seems to be 

 opposed to the rule just stated. 



In order to explain this apparent discrepancy, 

 we shall here give in tabular form a few examples 

 of countries which show imports of value exceed- 

 ing that of their exports : countries in the trade 

 of which the ordinary rule appears to be illus- 

 trated. And it will appear from the table to be 

 given that, in the case of these countries, not 

 only does the usual rule seem to be followed, 

 but it is habitually and almost without exception 

 followed year after year. 



TABLE No. I 

 Examples of Countries the Imports of which show a 



VALUE greater THAN THAT OF THEIR EXPORTS 



{In millions of potmds) 



Year 1894. 1899. 1904. 1908. 



£. £ £ £ 



UNITED Kingdom 1 1!"?^'-^^ 35o 420 481 513 

 (.Exports 216 264 301 377 



German Empire j i,"^?"--'^ '97 274 318 377 

 (Exports 148 210 261 315 



I Imports 154 181 180 236 



(Exports 123 166 178 202 



5 Imports 44 60 yj 117 



1 Exports 41 57 64 69 



iports 121 159 200 2: 



cports 93 131 165 li 



France 

 Italy . 

 Holland 

 Belgium 



5 Imports 121 159 200 223 



"(Exports 93 131 165 184 



f Imports 63 90 III 133 



■ X Exports 52 yj 87 loo 



As regards the intermediate years, from 1894 to 1908, there is 

 only one occasion on which the rule appears to be broken. In 

 the year 1905 the exports of France are given at ^194,676,000; 

 in that year the value of her imports is given at ^^191, 156,000. 



r* 



