he ae 
ON BRITISH AND FOREIGN STATISTICS OF INTERNATIONAL TRADE. 307 
to England, spun in Lancashire, woven in Germany, and exported through 
Austria to Turkey, which is the country of origin? Jt is quite impossible 
to draw the line, even in theory, between simple transhipment and com- 
plete manufacture, and we are driven by necessity aud convenience to 
tabulate goods according to the place at which they are paid for, thus 
increasing out of reason the trade statistics of entrepét countries. 
Most of the countries dealt with make an effort to enter goods accord- 
ing to the place from which they are shipped on a through bill of lading, 
or to which they go by a direct (rail and steamship) trade route. Thus, 
Swiss goods exported through Germany to Liverpool would be given in the 
Swiss statistics as exported to England, though their ultimate destination 
might be the United States. Imports are credited, so far as known, to 
the country from which they started on a through journey, but very 
frequently, when transported by sea, simply to the port at which they 
were shipped. The papers available for customs inspection very frequently 
do not show whence the goods came or where they were ordered, but only 
the place from which they made a through journey ; and the actual 
purchaser may very likely not know the real source. 
In some countries no attempt is made to get over these difficulties, 
and goods are credited simply to the country whose frontier they first 
cross or over which they came, whether by sea or land ; no country succeeds 
in getting any homogeneous or exact returns by any other method. In 
the United States the statistics profess to relate simply to the country 
whence the goods are imported or to which they are exported, and it is not 
clear whether the country of origin or ultimate destination is meant or not. 
France has endeavoured to get the real destination or origin since 
1870.' The result is that goods by rail are credited to the place of con- 
signment, goods by road or canal to the adjacent country, and goods by 
sea to the port of shipment or of lading, unless it is known that at these 
ports the goods were only transhipped ; except in the case of known 
through lines of trade, when the goods are credited to their destination or 
origin as far as is known. Much trade between U.S.A. and France is 
probably counted in her returns as with England. 
In Germany an attempt is made to get the real destination or origin. 
This is considered to be the place to or from which the goods travel in 
unbroken transit, or with immediate transhipment. 
In Belgium an attempt is made to get the real origin and ultimate 
destination, but with very imperfect results, the overland trade being 
frequently credited to the wrong country. 
In Holland no attempt is made in the case of goods leaving or entering 
the country by land, to get the real origin or destination ; but goods, 
whether by rail, road, river, or canal, are simply credited to the adjoining 
country. Goods by sea are credited to the port for which the vessel 
cleared, or from which she last cleared. 
In Austria, since 1890, the intention has been to credit goods to the 
country of origin or destination, but how far this intention has been 
carried out is not known. 
In Russia goods are credited to the country whose frontier they first 
pass or over which they arrive. 
In the United Kingdom the place from which imported goods have 
been shipped and the real destination of exports are aimed at, with results 
discussed below. 
1 See Zableau Décennal du Commerce de la France, 1887-1896, p. xvii. 
x2 
