THE TRADE OF GREAT BRITAIN.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 7253, 16 May 1885, Page 2 (Supplement)

THE TRADE OF GREAT BRITAIN.

Mr Henry Niall writes to the Pall Mall Gazette: " The discussion about the trade of England with her Colonies as compared with England's trade with foreign countries may, perhaps, permit of a word. The total export and import trade of England in 1882 {was £719,680,322; share reverting to British and Colonial trado, £191,708,514; total British and foreign trade, £527,911,808. This shows an increase with foreign countries and the Colonies which cannot bo denied. Our trndo-lists would be as follows: The Colonies first, the United States second, France third. Low Countries (Holland and Belgium) fourth, Germany fifth, Spanish America sixth, Russia seventh (China and Russia about equal), Spain and Portugal ninth, Denmark, Sweden, and Norway tenth, Turkey and Egypt eleventh, Italy twelfth. Thoso 12 classes absorb about 90 per cent., tho balance of trade being shared among a number of the einallor States. But when this much is stated, we have only reached the value of British and foreign as compared with Colonial trade. But what about the trade of tho British Empire ? This, I assume, is what is meant in this discussion, only it is narrowed down to tho comparisons above mado. Total imports of British Empire for 1882:—The Colonies, £214579,485; the United Kingdom, £313,588,711 ;-total, £528,1G8,196. Total exports of British Empire for 1882 :— Tho Colonies, £222,059,703; the United Kingdom, £214,323 097 ;—total, £43G 382,800. These totals show the sum of £904,550,996. If you take the total tonnage in this ye«r, excluding coasting trade, nt 73,647,347 tons, and remqnjber that 56,007,288 is British, you will Iwvo a fair estimate of British and foreign os compared with Colonial trade, and some idea of tb9Vftl^t>fßH«!bli»PW(i»ltr»(le," " '