FOREIGN COMMERCE OF SWITZERLAND.

The foreign commerce of Switzerland being effected through the four conterminous countries, viz, France, Germany, Italy, and Austria-the principal of these being France-we can only arrive at an approximation of the value thereof through the official returns of those powers.

The fact that Swiss trade is completely ignored in the official returns of nearly all countries, except the four mentioned conterminous countries, is a severe example of the unreliability of customs returns, as far as the details necessary to a full understanding of the world's commerce are concerned. For instance, France places it upon official record that Swiss goods to the amount of $57,500,000 passed through its territory for export to other countries. The greater portion of these were destined for England and the United States, and yet in the British and American commercial returns the country of origin is completely ignored and France credited therewith, merely because they passed through French territory in transit. In like manner, products of England, the United States, and other countries, to the value of $26,600,000, passed through France to Switzerland, and these are also credited in the official returns of the countries of origin as exports to France. Thus while every mart in the civilized world is familiar with the manufactures of Switzerland, and while her foreign trade is equal in value-leaving the question of its character out of view-to the foreign commerce of Sweden and Norway, the country is entirely ignored in the commercial statistics of the nations, outside of the conterminous countries before mentioned. The following may be taken as a fair approximation of the foreign trade of Switzerland:

Of the foregoing trade of France with Switzerland, the imports entered for consumption amounted to $22,014,000, the remainder passing in transit through France for other countries. Of the exports to Switzerland, French goods amounted to $42,467,000, the remainder representing foreign goods in transit through France for Switzerland. The impossibility of obtaining official statistics showing the trade of Germany with Switzerland, renders the "estimate" thereof, as given above, nothing more than an approximation.

The following statement showing the details of the foreign trade of Switzerland, as conducted with and through France, is a fair illustration of the nature thereof. Attention is called to the imports of silk and cotton manufactures, the silk import alone constituting about half the value of the total trade. It will be seen that out of a general import of both manufactures, amounting to $46,780,000, only to the value of $4,750,000 was entered for consumption in France, the remainder passing through for other countries.

According to a report from Consul Mason, of Basle (See Consular Report, No. 17, for March, 1882), the exports declared in Switzerland for the United States during the year 1881 amounted to $14,788,000, a decrease of $1,500,000 from the preceding year. The principal articles comprising this trade, together with the decrease or increase in the sev eral articles as compared with the year 1880, were as follows:

The foreign commerce of Spain is estimated as follows for the year 1880: Imports, $92,180,000; exports, $106,688,000. This shows an increase in imports of about $6,000,000, and an increase in exports of $15,000,000.

In the imports the increase took place in animals, brandy and spirits. coal, cocoa, codfish, cotton, iron, linen, machinery, ships, silk, timber, and

woolen manufactures. A large decrease occurred in the import of wheat, with lesser decrease in the imports of sugar, paper, mineral oil, hides and skins, cotton manufactures, and chemical products.

In exports the principal increase is noticeable in common wine, while a considerable decrease occurred in sherry and port wines, quicksilver, cork, lead, and mats. The other articles of export showing an increase were esparto grass, copper, salt, flour, and wool.

The principal articles of import aud export during the year 1880 were as follows:

The distribution of the foregoing trade by countries is not given by any available Spanish returns; the following statement, however, compiled from the official reports of the countries mentioned, supplies the principal part of this deficiency:

The following statements, compiled from the official reports of the countries named, show the details of the trade of France, Great Britain, and the United States with Spain:

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