Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1885-11-18
OUR FOREIGN COMMERC E.
Interesting Facts Furnished by the
Chief of the
Bureau of Siaiistics-ImpOr.s and Ex.
ports for the Year.

WASHINGTON, November 17.-Col. W.
F. SwiIzler, Chief of the Bureau of Statis-
tics, has Just completed his annual report
on fore gn commerce. It gives an analysis
Of our foreign trade and, among other
things, shows the magnitude of our COM
merce as compared with the commerce OF
other countries, the growth of our exports
of products of agriculture, of manufacture,
OF mining, etc, the condition of the i'm
ports, and the carrying trade of the couu-
try and other facts Of interest. The
report says the total value of our foreign
commerce in merchandise, including
the in-transit trade during the fiscal year
1885 was 81 ,3SS, ,5SS, 165, of which the value
of the exports was sap 100000, of the i'm
ports S577, 1000, 600, and Of the in-transit
and trans-shipment trade s6S 100000.
The imports and exports of gold and silver
coin and bullion during the same period
amounted TO $S5 .242, 1923, of which the
value of the exports was a },000,-
900, and of the imports $4,000, 900.
The value OF our foreign commerce, in
merchandise, including the in-trsnsit
trade during the preceding fl seal year was
81, ,4Sl ,Si9 csc, showing O falling of in
our foreign trade during the last fiscal
year of S93, ,251 ,92l. 1t appears that in
the value of foreign commerce, the United
Kingdom OF Great Britain AMI Ireland
stands first, Germany second, France
third and the United States fourth. The
total value of the foreign trade in mer-
chsndise Of these nations during the year
1888 was as blows: OF the United King
dom, So, ,563, ,877, $40; Germany, $780,
42S, ,745; France, s2,Oj3, So, ,5I4; the
United States, 81 SAC, 6,020,316. The most
notable feature of our foreign trade during
the last fiscal year, as compared with the
trade of 1884, was decrease in the Imports
OF merchandise CT S90,000,000, and q falling
off IN the exports # gold of So, 100000
The report shows in detail the countries
and the articles in which the decline in
imports of merchandise occurred. The
decrease occurred mainly in the values of
imports Of sugar and molasses, silks, wool,
and manufactures of silS and wool,
and iron aud steel and manufactures OF
iron and steel. Among the exports of
our manufactured products, which show
the most rapid developments since 1865,
are agricultural imp ements, clocks and
watches, manufactures of cotton, manu-
factures of iron and steel, including loco
motives, sewing tools and hard
ware. Great Britain not only takes about
90 per cent. of our agricu tnral and
unmsnufactured products, but also a
larger share, amounting to p
per CENT of our manuiactg ty gres
tnan 90 CenITal America, the N6Bb
Indies and South America combined.
Col Swizler says that there has been,
since 1860, a very marked decline in the
percep tage Of imports of manufacture d
articles, and a corresponding increase in
the percentage Of imports of crude or par
TALLY manufactured articles. This is a
significant fact, showing a steady growth
in the demand for crude articles to be used
as materials in the various processes OF
home manufacture.