1911 Encyclopædia Britannica/United Kingdom/Trade

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16221361911 Encyclopædia Britannica, Volume 27 — - United Kingdom Trade

Commerce.—British commerce received an enormous development after the first quarter of the 19th century. In 1826 the aggregate value of the imports into and exports from the United Kingdom amounted to no more than £88,758,678; while the total rose to £110,559,538 in 1836 and to £205,625,831 in 1846. In 1856 the aggregate of imports and exports had risen to £311,764,507, in 1866 to £534,195,956 and in 1876 to £631,931,305. Thus the commercial transactions of the United Kingdom with foreign states and British colonies increased more than sevenfold in the course of fifty years.

An important fact in connexion with the foreign commerce of the United Kingdom is that there has been a steady increase in imports, but there has been no corresponding steady increase in exports of British produce and manufactures. Many industries, which formerly were mainly in British hands, have been developed on the continent of Europe, in America, and to some extent in the East. The movement began in 1872. Up to that time the exports of British home produce had kept on increasing with the imports, although at a lesser rate, and far inferior in aggregate value; but a change took place in the latter year. While the imports continued their upward course, gradually rising from £354,693,624 in 1872 to £375,154,703 in 1876, the exports of British produce fell from £256,257,347 in 1872 to £200,639,204 in 1876. The decline in exports, regular and steady throughout the period, and with a tendency to become more pronounced every year, affected all the principal articles of British home produce just enumerated. The value of the cotton manuctures exported sank from £80,164,155 in 1872 to £67,641,268 in 1876; woollen fabrics from £38,493,411 to £23,020,719; iron and steel from £35,996,167 to £20,737,410; coals from £10,442,321 to £8,904,463; machinery from £8,201,112 to £7,210,426; and linen manufactures from £10,956,761 to £7,070,149. The decline during the four years, it will be seen, was greatest in all textile manufactures, and least in coal and machinery.

Country.			1890.		1895.		1900.	1905.		1909.
I.—British Possessions—			£		£		£	£		£
⁠India and Ceylon⁠.⁠.⁠.	${\Big \{}$	Imports	37,856,598		31,076,761		32,861,217	40,540,341		40,995,633
⁠India and Ceylon⁠.⁠.⁠.	${\Big \{}$	Exports	38,254,769		27,519,909		32,885,147	45,796,432		46,617,909
⁠Straits Settlements, Malaysia	${\Big \{}$	Imports	6,412,865		5,404,887		8,092,057	7,222,215		8,948,582
⁠and Hong Kong⁠.⁠.⁠.	${\Big \{}$	Exports	5,766,059		4,077,436		6,162,526	7,162,908		7,455,726
⁠Africa .⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.	${\Big \{}$	Imports	11,290,022		12,522,366		9,703,086	14,755,353		13,130,724
⁠Africa .⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.	${\Big \{}$	Exports	10,774,904		13,325,089		16,725,092	21,338,292		20,181,408
⁠Canada and Newfoundland .	${\Big \{}$	Imports	12,444,489		13,400,570		22,240,325	26,204,205		27,674,340
⁠Canada and Newfoundland .	${\Big \{}$	Exports	8,272,743		6,594,903		9,659,138	14,267,967		18,750,970
⁠West Indies, Bermudas, Hon-	${\Big \{}$	Imports	2,992,472		2,831,343		2,483,648	2,717,318		2,969,772
⁠duras and Guiana .⁠.⁠.	${\Big \{}$	Exports	4,262,669		3,230,189		2,954,477	3,324,665		3,777,244
⁠Australia .⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.	${\Big \{}$	Imports	20,992,185		24,954,779		23,800,820	26,968,977		32,655,709
⁠Australia .⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.	${\Big \{}$	Exports	21,750,705		15,867,979		23,545,565	19,476,463		27,207,430
⁠New Zealand .⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.	${\Big \{}$	Imports	8,347,430		8,383,058		11,615,881	13,391,222		17,730,556
⁠New Zealand .⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.	${\Big \{}$	Exports	3,705,428		3,443,688		5,899,292	6,994,806		8,081,422
⁠Other .⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.	${\Big \{}$	Imports	1,720,583		1,952,431		2,287,537	3,731,132		2,800,939
⁠Other .⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.	${\Big \{}$	Exports	3,826,012		3,095,184		4,252,072	4,351,367		4,246,362
II.—Foreign Countries—
⁠France	${\Big \{}$	Imports	44,828,148		47,470,583		53,618,656	53,072,900		50,690,785
⁠France	${\Big \{}$	Exports	24,710,803		20,324,998		25,877,453	23,232,663		31,515,320
⁠Germany	${\Big \{}$	Imports	26,073,331		26,992,559		31,181,667	35,799,758		40,115,450
⁠Germany	${\Big \{}$	Exports	30,516,281		32,736,651		38,542,790	42,742,300		47,168,852
⁠Belgium	${\Big \{}$	Imports	17,383,776		17,545,169		23,502,603	27,751,288		29,217,560
⁠Belgium	${\Big \{}$	Exports	13,594,966		11,934,653		14,846,307	14,818,923		19,284,791
⁠Holland	${\Big \{}$	Imports	25,900,924		28,419,944		31,381,023	35,481,059		37,371,702
⁠Holland	${\Big \{}$	Exports	16,445,992		11,272,258		14,931,090	14,516,887		16,303,884
⁠Denmark, Faeroe, Iceland,	${\Big \{}$	Imports	7,753,389		9,799,328		13,187,757	15,606,991		19,427,483
⁠Greenland	${\Big \{}$	Exports	2,928,006		3,135,122		4,724,121	4,609,671		5,705,415
⁠Norway	${\Big \{}$	Imports	—		3,831,727		5,756,018	5,954,870		6,574,319
⁠Norway	${\Big \{}$	Exports	—		2,532,050		3,910,982	3,712,532		3,835,436
⁠Sweden	${\Big \{}$	Imports	—		8,784,256		10,635,060	9,827,993		9,245,303
⁠Sweden	${\Big \{}$	Exports	—		4,036,729		6,495,223	6,016,332		7,114,071
⁠Austra-Hungary	${\Big \{}$	Imports	1,728,337		1,221,783		1,375,245	1,488,604		1,208,499
⁠Austra-Hungary	${\Big \{}$	Exports	1,694,318		2,149,552		3,157,716	2,603,223		4,333,269
⁠Rumania	${\Big \{}$	Imports	4,447,159		2,118,505		1,396,639	1,689,513		3,395,474
⁠Rumania	${\Big \{}$	Exports	1,350,497		944,034		616,287	1,305,658		1,749,996
⁠Greece	${\Big \{}$	Imports	1,962,798		1,241,406		2,227,212	1,328,234		1,613,174
⁠Greece	${\Big \{}$	Exports	1,235,126		860,193		1,104,196	1,251,642		1,513,744
⁠Italy	${\Big \{}$	Imports	3,093,918		3,132,720		3,417,790	3,324,595		3,634,073
⁠Italy	${\Big \{}$	Exports	8,523,209		6,211,337		9,444,498	9,787,306		13,274,764
⁠Spain	${\Big \{}$	Imports	12,508,533		11,314,518		15,882,346	13,858,631		13,362,959
⁠Spain	${\Big \{}$	Exports	5,702,804		4,052,806		6,333,857	4,841,774		5,352,017
⁠Portugal	${\Big \{}$	Imports	2,942,194		2,491,926		3,241,367	2,929,634		2,912,994
⁠Portugal	${\Big \{}$	Exports	2,612,638		1,865,973		2,529,305	2,826,257		2,777,201
⁠Russian Empire	${\Big \{}$	Imports	23,750,868		24,736,919		21,983,952	33,366,234		36,897,746
⁠Russian Empire	${\Big \{}$	Exports	8,846,054		10,686,333		16,360,475	14,884,050		18,325,844
⁠Turkey	${\Big \{}$	Imports	8,368,851	¹	5,630,240		5,657,627	5,491,443		5,085,435
⁠Turkey	${\Big \{}$	Exports	7,340,868	¹	5,566,187		5,372,956	6,979,147		7,789,432
⁠Japan	${\Big \{}$	Imports	1,024,993		1,143,382		1,540,526	1,860,313		4,232,716
⁠Japan	${\Big \{}$	Exports	4,187,373		4,772,829		9,933,925	9,796,900		8,618,821
⁠China	${\Big \{}$	Imports	4,830,850	²	3,343,865	²	2,359,821	2,340,346	³	3,725,502
⁠China	${\Big \{}$	Exports	6,763,221	²	5,363,536	²	5,634,313	13,298,828	³	8,558,275
⁠Netherlands—India	${\Big \{}$	Imports	1,223,037		874,313		287,454	2,129,479		2,436,518
⁠Netherlands—India	${\Big \{}$	Exports	1,675,054		1,988,479		2,881,601	3,558,562		3,768,264
⁠Egypt	${\Big \{}$	Imports	8,368,851		9,524,507		12,585,578	14,976,188		19,872,288
⁠Egypt	${\Big \{}$	Exports	3,459,991		3,414,556		6,159,468	8,069,668		8,142,325
⁠U.S.A.	${\Big \{}$	Imports	97,283,349		86,548,860		138,789,261	115,573,051		118,269,777
⁠U.S.A.	${\Big \{}$	Exports	46,340,012		44,067,703		37,343,955	47,282,088		59,254,166
⁠Mexico and Central American	${\Big \{}$	Imports	1,863,284		1,443,345		1,144,590	2,138,574		2,595,356
⁠States	${\Big \{}$	Exports	3,050,051		3,035,097		3,149,652	3,022,074		3,179,577
⁠Brazil	${\Big \{}$	Imports	4,350,675		3,614,155		5,946,547	8,109,208		11,271,890
⁠Brazil	${\Big \{}$	Exports	7,795,073		7,643,739		6,156,600	6,916,617		8,809,226
⁠Argentina	${\Big \{}$	Imports	4,129,802		9,084,497		13,080,466	25,034,325		32,528,446
⁠Argentina	${\Big \{}$	Exports	8,530,427		5,480,848		7,438,238	13,383,835		19,202,496
⁠Chile	${\Big \{}$	Imports	3,473,348		3,436,142		4,828,371	6,068,031		6,607,415
⁠Chile	${\Big \{}$	Exports	3,365,824		3,454,332		3,535,736	4,782,382		5,054,144

⁠Other countries in Asia	${\Big \{}$	Imports	376,969		344,895		373,344	611,096		1,043,280
⁠Other countries in Asia	${\Big \{}$	Exports	516,846		720,350		684,440	699,556		1,214,041
⁠Africa	${\Big \{}$	Imports	2,345,843		1,683,319		2,503,823	2,901,281		4,538,518
⁠Africa	${\Big \{}$	Exports	3,262,462		3,052,023		4,686,727	6,063,114		7,783,508
⁠South America	${\Big \{}$	Imports	2,080,466		2,437,294		2,355,801	3,897,595		5,657,201
⁠South America	${\Big \{}$	Exports	5,674,325		4,489,592		4,088,731	5,129,351		6,137,748
⁠Other Countries	${\Big \{}$	Imports	3,206,713		3,447,034		3,190,888	6,289,947		4,260,790
⁠Other Countries	${\Big \{}$	Exports	6,605,220		3,901,551		6,370,943	8,352,264		7,440,065
Total for British possessions	${\Big \{}$	Imports	100,279,852		100,405,592		113,074,557	134,530,683		146,908,244
Total for British possessions	${\Big \{}$	Exports	94,522,469		76,138,896		102,083,109	122,712,920		136,318,471
Total for foreign countries	${\Big \{}$	Imports	324,530,783		321,038,151		413,434,242	437,151,191		477,796,713
Total for foreign countries	${\Big \{}$	Exports	233,729,649		209,693,511		252,290,645	284,883,607		333,206,695
⁠Grand total	${\Big \{}$	Imports	420,691,997		416,689,658		523,075,163	565,019,917		624,704,957
⁠Grand total	${\Big \{}$	Exports	328,252,118		285,832,407		354,373,754	407,596,527		469,525,166

¹ Including Cyprus in this year.⁠² Including Korea.⁠³ Excluding Wei-hai-wei.

The table^[1] on p. 602 shows the subsequent movement in value of imports from other countries to the United Kingdom, and of exports to other countries from the United Kingdom, at quinquennial intervals; bullion and specie being excluded.

As regards fluctuations not revealed by the above figures, it may be mentioned that the highest total figures for any one year during the period covered are those for 1907, viz. imports £645,897,942; exports £517,977,167. As to minima within the period, the lowest totals for British possessions were: imports £91,851,534 in 1893, and exports, the figure quoted for 1895; for foreign countries, imports £312,836,644 in 1893, and exports £195,133,239 in 1894; grand totals, imports £404,683,178 in 1893, and exports £273,785,867 in 1894. It may be added that the maximal import figures for France within the period are those of 1906 (£53,871,661), for Germany those of 1909, and for the United States those of 1901 (£141,015,465). For exports to the United States the figures for 1909 were highest, to France those of 1907 (£33,507,544) and to Germany those of 1907 (£56,729,988).

The following table presents the value of the chief groups and articles of importation into the United Kingdom:—

	1895.	1900.	1905.	1909.
	£	£	£	£
Grain and flour⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.	53,077,981	62,992,082	70,057,290	83,107,421
Meat⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.	33,334,171	46,782,579	49,431,748	47,623,428
Other principal articles of food and drink—
⁠Butter⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.	14,235,230	17,450,435	21,586,622	22,424,962
⁠Sugar⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.	17,684,413	19,256,439	19,471,811	21,691,894
⁠Tea .⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.	10,242,999	10,686,910	9,302,713	11,617,031
⁠Wine.⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.	5,448,088	5,192,909	4,072,199	3,746,489
⁠Coffee⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.	3,778,365	2,544,726	2,578,327	2,675,516
⁠Fish (preserved)⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.	2,289,260	2,895,330	2,493,876	2,509,573
⁠Cocoa and chocolate⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.	1,610,483	2,398,248	2,227,141	903,464
⁠Principal fruits—
⁠Apples .⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.	966,273	1,224,657	2,665,193	2,667,911
⁠Oranges⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.	1,925,415	2,120,790	1,949,496	2,522,491
⁠Bananas⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.	—	548,956	1,776,256	1,752,166
Tobacco⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.	3,253,916	4,799,417	3,721,920	4,986,663
Raw materials—
⁠Cotton⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.	30,522,016	41,117,308	52,370,878	60,295,049
⁠Wool.⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.	23,494,249	24,073,917	26,643,737	35,041,766
⁠Oils, &c. .⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.	18,497,573	23,564,644	23,600,927	31,039,883
⁠Wood and timber⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.	16,372,181	27,875,913	23,274,020	23,591,579
⁠Textile materials excluding cotton and wool .	11,378,608	11,553,114	14,511,978	12,127,707
⁠Caoutchouc .⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.	3,760,178	6,986,133	9,643,153	14,138,204
⁠Hides and skins⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.	7,360,070	8,465,660	8,084,793	11,617,756
⁠Metallic ores excluding iron⁠.⁠.⁠.	4,575,929	5,575,272	7,610,990	8,327,193
⁠Iron ore. &c.⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.	3,027,196	5,750,947	5,525,575	5,076,131
Manufactured articles—
⁠Yarns and textile fabrics⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.	—	—	39,688,418	29,651,658
⁠Metal, excluding iron and steel⁠.⁠.⁠.	11,196,315	21,844,683	21,840,696	24,346,328
⁠Leather⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.	11,035,870	11,823,132	11,037,983	11,617,130
⁠Chemicals⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.	8,714,360	8,628,279	9,624,638	10,596,593
⁠Iron and steel (not machinery)⁠.	—	7,314,696	8,589,405	7,971,594
⁠Paper⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.	2,845,730	4,412,440	5,256,065	5,647,437
⁠Machinery⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.	—	3,475,887	4,537,871	4,433,326

Certain omissions are necessary in this table owing to alterations in classification of the returns.

The value of the chief articles and groups of export of home produce are similarly shown:—

	1895.	1900.	1905.	1909.
	£	£	£	£
Cotton yarn and manufactures⁠.	63,746,463	69,750,279	92,010,985	93,444,799
Iron and steel and manufactures⁠.	19,428,383^[2]	31,623,353^[2]	31,826,438	38,192,142
Woollen yarn and manufactures⁠.	29,094,568	24,259,766	29,916,807	30,917,807
Coal⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.	14,600,326	36,409,614	24,859,129	37,129,978
Machinery⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.	15,150,522	19,619,784	23,260,326	28,057,643
Chemicals⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.	11,463,304	13,154,344	14,536,857	16,783,019
Textiles (not cotton or wool) .⁠.	11,986,718	12,191,069	13,204,899	12,441,525
Metal manufactures (not iron)⁠.	5,048,588	6,473,197	8,920,533	8,708,945
Clothing.⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.	5,615,594	6,499,086	6,021,242	9,824,125
Leather and leather goods⁠.⁠.	3,833,980	3,875,683	5,660,494	4,242,356
Ships⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.	—	8,587,710	5,431,298	5,927,114

The proportion of imports and exports per head of population of the United Kingdom was:—

Year.	Total Imports.			Exports of British Produce.
	£	s.	d.⁠	⁠£	s.	d.
1890	11	4	6	7	0	7
1895	10	12	6	5	15	4
1900	12	14	3	7	1	6
1905	13	1	5	7	12	7
1906	13	18	5	8	12	0
1907	14	12	6	9	13	3
1908	13	6	3	8	9	4
1909	13	17	7	8	8	1

The tables on p. 604 show the value of unregistered imports of gold and silver bullion and specie from British possessions and from foreign countries into the United Kingdom, specifying the most important countries individually.

Gold.

	1890.	1895.	1900.	1905.	1909.
	£	£	£	£	£
From British possessions⁠.	5,368,424	17,618,466	11,350,591	38,567,895	40,464,212
⁠South Africa⁠.⁠.⁠.	1,876,677	8,353,913	378,626	21,286,374	32,912,428
⁠India⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.	443,079	1,929,590	3,637,978	6,850,360	2,170,957
⁠Australia⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.	1,398,627	5,324,498	6,182,718	3,440,037	2,613,002
⁠Foreign countries⁠.	18,199,625	18,390,863	14,840,282	4,949,335	14,227,617
⁠Total⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.	23,508,049	36,009,329	20,190,873	43,517,230	54,691,829

Silver.

	1890.	1895.	1900.	1905.	1909.
	£	£	£	£	£
From British possessions⁠.⁠.	350,094	282,269	264,676	412,756	667,619
⁠Foreign countries⁠.⁠.	10,035,565	10,384,063	13,057,624	12,579,258	11,147,270
⁠United States of America	4,057,709	8,032,925	11,459,612	9,784,828	9,971,396
⁠Total⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.	10,385,659	10,666,332	13,322,300	12,992,014	11,814,889

Notes edit

↑ Adapted from the Statistical Abstract for the United Kingdom where it is specified that the value of new ships and boats, with their machinery, was not included in exports before 1899.
↑ ^2.0 ^2.1 Owing to an alteration in classification these figures are not strictly comparable with those for 1905.

[1] Adapted from the Statistical Abstract for the United Kingdom where it is specified that the value of new ships and boats, with their machinery, was not included in exports before 1899.

[n2-2] 2.0 ^2.1 Owing to an alteration in classification these figures are not strictly comparable with those for 1905.

[1]

[2]