Great Britain and her Rivals.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XXXIII, Issue 3387, 31 October 1896, Page 4

Great Britain and her Rivals.

The controversy regarding the relative position of the foreign trade of the United Kingdom and of other countries will bo aided by the publication of the latest particulars available. Official returns for the last two years are therelore as follows : — Impohts. 1801, 1895. £ & United King- Inoreaso. ilom .. 408,880,000 410,097,000 8,101,000 Decrease. Germany* .. 210,281,000 206,897,000 8,884,000 Franco t .. 1^,017,000 148,796,000 5,221,000 Exports. United King- Inoroase. doiu .. 274,156,000 286,185,000 11,980,000 Germany* .. 149,729,000 107,622,000 17,898,000 Franco} .. 128,126,000 184,852,000 11,886,000 ♦Kxchnngo at tl^o parity of marks, 20.88=21, at francs, 35<=i£l. The figures for the United Kingdom are those of the Board of Trade. The exports include re-exports. The figures for Germany are final as regards the year 1894, but are subject to offioial revision as regards , the year 1895. German exports .also include reexports, a large item, as anyone acquainted with, the intricacies of Continental trade, percolating as it largely does from the .Russian, Austrian, and Swiss frontiers to the German Ocean, knows. The figures for France are final for both yeare, but they refer only to the "special" commerce of the country, and do not Include reexports. Were re-exports' eliminated throughout it would, probably, be found that; the true export trade of France is larger that that of Germany. The figures given above may be further compared as follows : — Imports and Exports. 1894. 1895. £ £ £ United King- Inorease. dom .. 082,991,000 708,182,000 20,141,000 Germany and France togothor .. 687,158,000 658,267,000 21,114,000 Thus in both years the commerce of the United Kipgdom has largely exceeded that of Germany and France combined. The figures we have given do not include imports and exports of the precious metals. If these were added, and, for Borne reasons they ought to be, the preponderance of British commerce would become much more marked. The year 1895 witnessed great commercial activity in the United Kingdom, Germany, and France. The expansion has continued throughout the first. e.ight months of 1896, so far as the United Kingdom in the first place, and Germany in the second place are ooncerned. But in France the increase has been less marked. Summing up, it may be reasonably concluded that the commerce of the three great countries has improved for general reasons, and that the relative position of eaoh is substantially unaltered.