The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-03-31
The Foreign Trade of Russia.

lishcd tabulatcd statement OF the COM
mcrce between the Cars subjects and other
nations during the year ending Jan. 1, 1877.
These statistics supply some useful informa-
ton In regard to the production and con-
sumption of the great northern empire.
1t appears that the interchange of prod
ucts between Russia and foreign countries
Including Fnlandl represented in 1876 II
value, for both exports and imports, of $751;
000.O 900 Of rouDles. against $4,000, 900 in 1875.
This is %shrinkage of 35.O000Oo, or about
four per cent, and rs COMPARED even with
1874 marks considerable decline. The
falling of Is chargeable exclusively
To Imports, the export account show
ing gain OF five per cent, due to the
augmented shipments of grain. 1t is prob
able, too, that purchasers for foreign mar
kcts were stimulated by the depreciation
Of the paper rouble which. on the other
hand, would operate to curtail importation.
The diminished consumption of foreign
goods is the more remarkable because large
quantities were hurried forward in the last
two months OF the year to avoid the pay
ment OF duties in gold. the new customs law
coming into force on Jan. l. 1877.
The total value OF Russian products sent
out of the country In 1876 was 400 million
rUublcs, In which sum cereals and flour
figured for more than half, or two hundred
and three millions, being credited with an
increase of twcnty-thrcc millions over 1875
This change is mainly traceahle to the ports
OF the Baltic, whose shipments We're aug
mcnted nearly fifty per cent, while the
southern ports. which still keep the first
place in this commerce. showed de-
cline Of five per cent, more than COM
pcnsated. however, by enlarged exports
over the land frontier. OF single seaports 1t
seems that Cronstadt did the largest ex-
port business, computed at some sixty-two
million roublcs; next came Odessa. with nf-
ty-iive, and Riga, with forty millions. Among
the consumers of Russian products Great
Britain holds 10y far the highest rank, TAX
ing the worth Of 100000 roublcs: Prussia
is second, with 100000, and then come
France, Austria, and Germany, in the order
named
Besides grain. the only Russian staples
which We're exported in increased quantity
are lumber the demand for which has for
some time steadily progressed; cattle, wool.
and animal products in general Flax. on
the other hand. which was sent out in guam
titics valued at nearly nfty million roublcs
III 1000 wi vi N'tll' lllllNN per cent,
while the amount of linen thread
forwarded 10 foreign markets was
altogether insignificant So. too. the export
Of -pirits which has acquired rapid extern
sion since $50, fell on in 1876 almost fifty
per cent. 4 certain decline is also noticed
in metals. Finally. we observe that not.
withstanding the expansion Of Russian pow
cr in Turki-tan. the exports from A-trachan
decreased thirt weight per cent. This would
indicate that the Russian soldier, in hi. role
of civlizcr, fails to awaken Il demand for
European products.
Turning TO imports. We find shrnkagc
from 53l million roublcs in 1875. to Az mill
lions. The most considerable decline in 1876
was in raw cottons, whose importation had
shown of late years marked progression,
resulting from the strenuous attempt
to develop manufactures. This short
coming, which is equally traccablc in
woollens and silks, in dyes and chem
zeal substances, comedies with the
collapse of Russian industrial enterprise
since the middle of the last.named year.
when war was seen to be inevitable
The curtailmcnt in the demand for
wagons, always notable feature of
Russian importatons. IL much slighter
owing to the arrested construction
of many new lines of railway. On
the other hand, there was marked
augment in the receipts of tea by way of
Kiakhta and the Amour river, in order to
avoid the gold duty soon to be exacted;
and the demand for tobacco also showed an
increase, partly for the same reason, and
partly because large part of this staple
being procured from Turkey, Russian
buyers sought to accumulate Il stock before
| the outbreak Of war.
| If We except the harbors Of the White
sea, the sole entrcpots OF Russia which
show any gain in importation are the ports
| of the south These, taken together, pre-
| sent an excess Of eighteen per cent, nearly
| half Of which is credited To Odessa. OF
| foreign products the Baltic ports took less
| 10y twenty-five million rouhles than In 1875
while the dininution observed at the
land Custom Houses reached sixteen
Per cent In general IL may be
said that among the puryeyors of
goods to Russia, four countries only,
namely Prussia, Turkey, Roumana, and
the United States, can point to any sensible
increase of business. Considering the good
understanding of the Russian and German
Chancclors, it is but equitable that the
Cars subjects should buy in Prussian mar
kcts if they can; and we note that the i'm
portations from the German empire are
much larger than at any period during the
last ten years, exceeding by more than
| twelve million roubcs those of 1875. Nat
urally, too, the most signal falling of occurs
in tho demand for British products,
Curlously enough, although, as we have
seen, the amount Of goods forwarded and
received was considerably less yet Its trans
port seems to have exacted more ships ana
greater tonnage than in the previous twelve
month Thus the number Of vessels engaged
| in the carrying trade was larger by nearly
o thousand, while the augmented capacity
] fell but little short OF two hundred