COMMERCE
953
In Russia the Custom House agents fix the values of imports and exports, either on the basis of declarations of interested parties and documents in sujtport of them or by refer once to exjierts when the declarations are untrustworthy and erroneous. They are assisted also by price lists. The values of exports are determined at the point of shipment exclusive of cost of transport, insurance, &c. The quantities of goods imported are deter- mined by weighing or other effective means, as are also the quantities of goods exported — when subject to export duty. The dc(;larations of shipping are sufficient in the case of exports duty free. The gross weight is always recorded except in those cases for which the Customs regulations have i)rovi(le<l official tares. The Customs officials never require the true country of origin or of destination. They register the port where the bill of lading is dated, for imports — and proceed similarly in the case of exports.
The chief trade of the Empire is carried on through its European frontier, ^vhich does not inchide the Caucasus. However, as the exports of naphtha ai)d "rain from the Caucasus to Western Europe became of late very important, the Ministry of Finances began to inchide, since the year 1894, into the exports through the European frontier, the exports through the Black Sea frontier of Caucasus and the trade with Finland.
The exports and imports from and to the different frontiers for the last five years, are given in the following table: —
-
1892 2
1803
1894
1895
1890
Exports: — Through European frontier
,, Asiatic ,, Trade with Finland .
Total .... (Black Sea frontier of Caucasus) Moreover, to Russian Manchuria
Imports: — From European frontier .
,, Asiatic ,, Trade with Finland .
Total .... (Black Sea frontier of Caucasus)
Oold and silver in money and ingots —
Exports
Imports
i,0;.'C-
roubles
365,890
'^■^,586
21,099
1,000 roubles
505,805 74,787 18,528
1,000
roubles
633,0871
20,363
15,.303
668,753 (52,731)
15,865
1,000
roubles
653,2621
21.307
15,514
1,000
roubles
593,709
77,208
17,655
475,580
(50,.354)
13,743
599,210
(55,749)
14,497
680,083
(58,782)
23,771
688,572 (77,209)
346,475 45,456 11,949
305,091 52,618 15,836
496, .3571 63,215 18,879
457,7121 59,016 20,880
502,784 66,576 20,451
403,880 (10,956)
463,546 (10,956)
559,571 (7,859)
538,508 (10,808)
1,000
roubles
gold
1,375
37,507
589,810 (28,926)
1,000 roubles
gold
4,610 113,765
1,000
roubles
gold
7,318
31,319
1,000
roubles
gold
44,222
130,041
1,000 roubles gold 2,067
1 Inclusive of Black Seafronti(
jr but not
f trade witl
1 Finland.
- Faniin
e year.
"With the exception of the year 1894, when 37,528,000 roubles in gold ( = 56,292,000 paper roubles) were exported, the exports of gold are insignifi- cant, the chief export being silver to Asia. Of silver from 10 to 21 million roubles were imported, the remainder being gold.
The following tables, giving the value of exports and imports, in thousands of paper roubles, to and fiomEurope (European frontier, including Caucasus since the year 1895) will better show the character of the foreign trade of Russia: —
