Butter. Coffee Exports from the United Kingdom to British North America-Continued. Articles. NEWFOUNDLAND-Continued. Foreign goods. FOREIGN COMMERCE OF MEXICO. Owing to the system, or rather lack of system, in regard to the collection and publication of customs returns by the national government, it is impossible for our consuls in Mexico to supply any trustworthy sta tistics concerning the foreign commerce of the republic; at best all that can be done by these officials is to give details of the trade of their several districts. To arrive, therefore, at an approximate estimate of the trade of Mexico, it is necessary to consult the official publications of the principal countries holding commercial intercourse therewith. These are the United States, Great Britain, France, and Germany; the trade of each of which with Mexico is available, with the exception of that of Germany. An analysis of the official returns of the countries mentioned gives the following results, the trade of France and England being for the calendar year 1880, and the trade of the United States for the year ending June 30, 1881: Certain modifications of these statements are necessary in order to appreciate the trade proper of the countries mentioned with Mexico. The total exports from France to Mexico during the year 1880 as above given amounted to $5,955,000. In this trade French goods amounted to only $3,390,000, the remainder being composed of exports in transit through France-from Switzerland and Italy, principally. The exports of British goods to Mexico (1880) amounted to $5,953,000, the balance, $282,000, being made up of foreign and colonial goods. The exports of American goods (1881) amounted to $9,198,000, the balance, $1,993,000, being composed of foreign exports. The exports proper, therefore, of the three countries to Mexico during the year 1880 for Great Britain and France, and the fiscal year 1881 for the United States, were as follows: From the United States, $9,198,000; from Great Britain, $5,953,000; from France, $3,390,000. It will thus be seen that the consumption of American goods in Mexico is about equal to the total consumption of British and French goods combined. Taking the irregular or contraband trade into consideration, it is very much greater. To show the relative condition of the trade of Great Britain, France, and the United States with Mexico in 1877-the maximum year for a number of years previous to 1880, for French and British trade, as compared with 1880-the following statement, covering the exports of British, French, and American products, is given : Exports of American, British, and French products to Mexico. The imports from Mexico in 1877, as compared with 1880, show the following results: It will be seen by the foregoing official statement that the exports of American produce and manufactures to Mexico have increased more than 100 per cent. during the four years under review, against 23 per cent. British increase, and a slight decrease of French exports. The imports from Mexico into the United States during the same period show an increase of about 60 per cent., those into France an increase of about 47 per cent., while the imports into Great Britain show a decrease of about 22 per cent. The following statements, prepared from British, French, and American official returns, show the principal articles and their value which enter into this trade: 4277—5 |
