Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1899 American Edition.djvu/1179

 COMMERCE — SHIPPING AND NAVIGATION

823

In the Netherlands the statistics give sometimes the real, sometimes the official, value of goods. For goods liable to an ad valorem import duty and for some articles duty-free, the importer lias to declare the real value according to the current prices of the day; in case of disagreement, the tiscal authorities may acquire the goods at the declared value increased 10, 11, or 12 per cent. To other goods the oHicial values, unchanged since 1862, are applied. Every declaration of imports and of exports is, in principle, subject to verifi- catiou, but in fact only those relating to goods subject to duty are checked. Returns are made out in gross weight, in net weight (with deduction of an official tare), in number or in value according to the nature of each case. When goods are imported or exported by river the neighbouring country is always regarded as the country of origin or of destination; thus imports really from France are attributed to Belgium. When transjiort is by sea, generally the real country of origin is given; thus Spanish wines are set down as from Spain, unless they have been imported first into some other country, in which case they are attributed to that country.

The total value of the imports from the Netherlands into Great Britain, and of the exports of British and Irish produce to the Netherlands, in each of the last five years is shown in the table following, according to the Board of Trade returns: —

1893 -

1894

£

1895

1896

1897.

£

£

£

^ i

Imports into

U. K. from

Netherlands.

28,851,490

27,606,397

28,419,477

29,261,023

28,971,316 1

Exports of

1

British pro-

duce to Neth

erlands. ,

—

9,249,136

8,788,341

7,375,011

8,333,935

8,854,696!

Tlie principal articles of trade between the United Kingdom and the Netherlands (Ijoard of Trade Returns) in two years were: —

Imports into U. K. from Netherlands

ISDO

1897 £

Exports of produce

and manuf. of U.K.

to Netherlands

1 9j

1897

£

£

£

Cottons

1)80,222

998,686

Cottons.

986,636

1,012.750

Woollens

2.775,366

2,726,156

Cotton yarn.

1,139,807

1,300,501

Silk manufactures

2.250,356

2,006,968

Woollens

642,978

618,833

Iron and steel manuf,.

1,164,144

1,071,408

Woollen 5'arns

465,805

469,761

Cheese ....

734,611

748,251

Coal

340,877

411,222

Butter ....

1,156,726

1,353,349

Iron

933,180

1,152,482

Margarine.

2,304,335

2,291,796

Copper.

314,773

280,617

Gloves (leathei-).

910,521

708,216

Machinery.

529,906

510,657

Paper ....

813,538

875,580

Cycles.

154,921

126,145

Sugar ....

1,504,705

1,248,516

Leather.

120,58.3

185,158

! Cocoa and iireparatious

327,675

574,261

Hardware

101,008

112,067

Coffee.

226,836

40,350

Tallow.

ISO oso

190,400

Glass mauuf.

419,653

446,789

Chemicals. ,

167. 739

198,590

Much of the trade here entered as with the Netherlands consists of goods in transit from and to Germany, notably the imports of silk goods which are from Rhenish Prussia.

Shipping and Navigation.

of

vessels belonging to the

mercantile navy at

The number the end of 1897 was: —

Sailing vessels 441, of 95,226 English tons; steamers 171 of 211,426 English tons.