304 REPORT—1904. 
more important than the entrepdt trade, and the entrepédt trade as more 
important than the transit trade. Consequently, most countries have been 
in the habit of devoting more attention to the earlier classes than to the 
later, and the result has been that the statistics of the later classes are 
not sufficiently complete to allow of useful comparison between the totals 
for all four classes. 
The unfortunate result of this is that we cannot keep clear of questions 
of classification in the comparison of statistics of international trade. We 
have to compare totals which confessedly do not include all imports (all 
things carried in) and all exports (all things carried out), but only a 
portion of them, and the different countries do not agree as to what 
portion should be included. 
It is becoming the practice to call the portion of foreign trade of which 
the more detailed statistics are kept, the ‘special trade,’ and the whole or 
any larger portion of foreign trade of which any statistics of totals 
(quantity or value or both), the ‘ general trade,’ but the distinction is not 
always applicable, and is sometimes confusing. 
In the United Kingdom the largest total for imports includes every- 
thing except gold and silver and goods for transhipment,' the largest 
total for exports (‘British and Foreign and Colonial produce’) includes 
everything except gold and silver and goods transhipped.' The tran- 
shipment trade and imports and exports of bullion are given sepa- 
rately. The grand total of exports just described is divided into totals 
for ‘British produce’ and for ‘Foreign and Colonial produce,’ the 
information as to the division being obtained from the exporters—British 
produce meaning, apparently, not only everything grown, but also every- 
thing manufactured in the United Kingdom, whether composed in part 
or wholly of foreign materials or not. The grand total of imports is 
divided, so far as quantities are concerned, into totals ‘retained for home 
consumption’ and re-exports. Thus, if the smaller totals be taken as 
‘special’ and the larger as ‘ general’ trade, it may be said that the United 
Kingdom special trade includes our ideal Classes 1 and 2, and the general 
trade Classes 1, 2, and 3. 5 
The United States arrangement is the same in theory, but instead of 
the home consumption being ascertained by deducting quantities re- 
exported as declared by the exporters from the total imported, it is taken 
simply as the quantity and value ‘entered for consumption’ at the 
customs warehouse or barrier. The Committee are inquiring as to the 
exact treatment of re-exports. ri 
France includes in the ‘general trade’ everything coming in or goin 
out, except gold and silver, so that her grand totals include all four of Boe 
ideal classes. In ‘special trade’ she includes only Class 1, and such part 
of Class 2 as has paid duty ; but sugar is treated exceptionally, all imports 
and exports being included. Soke P 
The German ‘special trade’ totals include Classes 1 and 2, and such 
part of 3 and 4 as are not liable to duty and have not been dealared for 
re-export ; ‘general trade’ totals include in addition foreign goods re- 
exported after they have been in the customs warehouse. Trade with the 
small districts (in Hamburg, &c.) which are free of duties is regarded as 
foreign trade. Duty-free material for shipbuilding is not included in an 
of the returns, nor goods sent abroad to undergo a manufacturing ese 
! A small quantity of these goods passes from port to port under customs control 
