The subjoined table gives the total value, in dollars, of the imports and exports of merchandise in years ended June 30:

In the United States the values are fixed not according to average prices, but according to invoices or shipping papers, which the importers and exporters have to produce. For imports the invoices are signed by an American Consul; for exports the shipping papers are signed by the exporter or agents at the port of shipment. The quantities are determined by declarations.

The following table gives the total value of the gold and silver bullion and specie imported into the United States, and the value of that exported, being the product of the States, in years ended June 30:

The general imports and the domestic exports of United States produce are classified as follows for two years:

The following table shows the value of the chief exports of domestic merchandise for the year ending June 30, 1898 :

The leading imports into the United States 1897-98:

26,990,073

Carriages, and horse

cars, and parts of

1,685,838

Cycles, and parts of

6,846,529

17,024,092 Books, maps, engrav

ings, etchings, and

other printed matter

2,434,325

12,581,534

Vegetables.

2,381,788

India-rubber and gutta

percha, and manu

factures of

1,723,862

9,155,144

Scientific instruments.

2,770,803

Paper, and manufacs.of

5,494,564

The customs duties on merchandise amounted in 1896-97 to 176,316,393 dollars, and in 1897-98 to 149,819,594 dollars. The following table shows for two years the values of the exports of domestic merchandise to and the imports from the following countries, according to the United States returns :

123,784,453

France

56,287,631

478,448,592 534,398,302 167,947,820 108,945,185 153,171,100 111,210,614 69,697,378 93,790,717 67,530,231 52,730,848

Thus, in the year ended June 30, 1898, 43.93 per cent. of the exports of the United States went to the United Kingdom alone, while 17.67 per cent. of the imports came from that country.

The following is the trade of Great Britain and Ireland with the United States, according to the Board of Trade returns :—

Imports from the

United States. 107,081,260 97,283,349 89,607,392 86,548,860 106,347,346 113,041,627 Exports of British produce 30,855,871 32,068,128 18,799,485 27,948,112 20,424,225 20,994,631

The value of the total exports from Great Britain to the United States was, in 1890, 46,340,0127. ; in 1894, 30,775,4667. ; in 1895, 44,067,7037.; in 1896, 32,035,7847.; in 1897, 37,933,9177. The quantities and values of the wheat, wheat-flour, and maize imports into Great Britain from the United States were as follows in each of the last five years :

Year

Wheat

Wheat-Flour

Maize

Other cereals imported are barley, 3,241,900 cwt., value 906,980%. in 1896; 3,353,600 cwt., value 939,4887. in 1897; oats, 4,552,500 cwt., value 1,051,7027. in 1896; 8,082,300 cwt., value 1,913,4787. in 1897; oatmeal, 367,060 cwt., value 122,9897. in 1896; 631,100 cwt., value 387,5987. in 1897.

The imports of raw cotton into Great Britain and Ireland from the United States were of the following quantities and value in each of the last five years :

1893

1894

1895

1896

1897

Quantity, cwts. 9,427,280 12,438,295 12,453,542 12,446,671 12,323,090 Value £. 22,524,826 24,716,678 22,766,427 27,965,225 24,557,513

Other considerable imports into Great Britain were, in 1897 -bacon and hams, 8,665,1837.; cheese, 1,413,0797.; lard, 1,927,1627.; petroleum, 2,762,842ĺ.; oil-cake, 767,6027.; oxen and bulls, 7,214,7367.; fresh beef, 4,609,1307. ; tobacco, 3,070,3647.; leather, 2,606,4067.; sugar, molasses, &c., 775,4747.

The following table gives the total value of the leading articles exported from the United Kingdom to the United States in the last five years :