1160 PARAGUAY
is about 220,000 cwls., of which about 60 per cent, was (before the war) exported to Europe, chiefly to Germany. Paraguay also produces que- bracho extract ; in 1919 the output amounted to 32,976 tons. Fruit- growing, especially oranges, is general ; 103,252,000 oranges were exported in 1919. The export of petit grain oil, the essential oil made from the leaves of the sour orange, amounted in 1919 to 37,976 kiios. The total area devoted to sugar cultivation (largely for the manu- facture of spirit) is about 11,120 acres ; estimated sugar production in 1920, 5,230 tons ; 1919, 2,504 tons. There are 7 sugar refineries in Paraguay, the most important of which is at Tebicuari. Roots (chiefly mandioca, sweet potatoes, and ground-nuts), maize, beans, rice, &c. are grown for local consumption, but agriculture is primitive. The cultivation of cotton is encouraged by the authorities, but has not yet assumed com- mercial importance for want of labour.
Iron, manganese, copper, and other minerals are encountered in abund- ance. The Ibicui iron mines were worked as early as 1863. The Quiquio and Ibicui manganese mines contain ore deposits estimated at 60,000,000 tons. Copper has also been found at San Miguel and Quiquio.
Commerce.
The following is the value of the imports and exports (5 dollars = £1) ! —
Imports i . Export*
1 The comparison between the import values with the export values is apt to be mis leading, since these figures represent the conventional values only (assigned by the customs tariff as the basis on which duties are collected) and not the ascertained value of the goods.
2 The actual, or ascertained, value.
Import duties (estimated) in 1916, 230,576/., in 1917-18, 298,657?., in 1919, 444,500/. The export duties were estimated in 1916 at 122,600/.. in 1917-18, at 179,390/, in 1919 at 163,000/.
The chief imports are textiles, provisions, hardware, wines and spirits, drugs, and fancy goods. The chief exports are hides (238,954 kilos), (3,516,482 kilos), oranges, tobacco (10,261,078 kilos in 1919), timber, oanned and preserved beef, cattle, petit grain oil, and quebracho extract. Of the im- ports in 1919, the most important were foodstuffs, 884,499/.; hardware, •152,636/.; and textiles, 11,511,265/. Of the total exports in 1819, goods to the value of 2,211,876/. went to Argentina, whence the bulk is re-exported. Tin' imports from Great Britain (chiefly consisting of textiles and hardware) amounted in 1919 to 786,386/., or only 26 per cent, of the total. The exports from Paraguay to the United Kingdom were valued at 146,684/. Tic ' most favoured nation treaty' of 1884 between Great Britain and Paraguay is in force. A free trade treaty was signed in 1916 between Paraguay and Argentina, but lias not yet been ratified.
The trade between Paraguay and the United Kingdom (Hoard of Trade returns) for 5 years :
Imports from Paraguay to U.K. Exports to Paraguay from I . K.
