Statement showing the value of declared exports from the consular district of Trieste to the

United States during the four quarters of the year ending September 30, 1877.

Statement showing the value of declared exports from the consular district of Vienna to the

United States during the four quarters of the year ending September 30, 1877.

BELGIUM.

ANTWERP, November 21, 1877. (Received Jan. 11, 1878.) Report upon the trade and commerce of Belgium for the year 1876.

GENERAL AND SPECIAL COMMERCE.*

The general importations for 1876 amounted to 2,460,000,000 francs, a gain of 41 per cent. over 1875, while the special importations amounted to 1,448,000,000 francs, a gain of 10 per cent. over 1875. The general exportations amounted to 2,083,000,000 francs, being a decrease of nearly one per cent., and the special exportations amounted to 1,064,000,000 francs, a loss of 1,000,000 francs when compared with 1876.

This is the worst feature of the commercial condition of the kingdom, in that the special imports show an increase of 10 per centum, whereas the special exports indicate a decrease of nearly one per cent. From an analysis of the statistics, it will be seen that the decrease results from the falling off of the staple manufactured articles of this country. The decrease in exports of wrought iron was 16,507 tons; machinery, 3,394 tons; steel, 1,827 tons; flax and hemp and fabrics thereof, 13,215 tons; coal, 235,478 tons; while the largest augmentations are recognized as transit passing under the denomination of special exports; for example, graid, 134,830 tons; stone, 148,760 tons. So that while the transit trade of the kingdom swells the totals and indicates prosperity, the export trade reveals a sad condition in respect to domestic manufacturing interests. The surplus productions and manufactures of the great nations have entered the lists, are now met in deadly conflict in the broad arena of universal competition, and victory will rest upon the banners of those who can win the old or discover new markets for superior and cheaper manufactures. In these battles tbe successful weapon is steam-power machinery, presided over by intelligent labor.

The following table will indicate, in order of magnitude, the nations with which Belgium carried on her principal commercial trade for 1876. If the special commerce be subtracted from the general, the balance will represent the direct transits and quantities stored in bonded warehouses.

• The general commerce comprises all the commerce of Belgium, including shipments of merchandise in transit to and from France, Holland, Switzerland, and Western Germany, as well as her special commerce. The special commerce comprises all imports entered at the custom-house, and exports of Belgian goods, and is, therefore, the commerce proper of Belgium, the remainder being goods in transit.

Statement showing the commerce of Belgium with the principal countries of the world for the

year 1876, stated in millions of francs.

The preceding table gives the United States the sixth rank in order of importance in respect to the importations and seventh for the expor. tations, The special imports from the United States amounted to nearly 8 per cent. of the total amount.

IMPORTS FROM THE UNITED STATES.

The following table will exbibit the principal articles imported into Belgium, their amount and changes, for the last four years.

Statement showing the values of the principal import: from the United States into Belgium for

the years 1876, 1875, 1874, and 1873,

The foregoing table shows great gaivs; the losses in 1875 being recovered in 1876. Although 1873 surpasses by frcs. 18,000,000 the last year, yet as that was a very extraordinary year, the imports of 1876 should be considered perfectly satisfactory. When it is stated that for 1867 the importations amounted to only 40,000,000 francs, and kept at that figure

until the year 1871, when they rose to 102,000,000, the condition of 1876 will appear more flattering.

While the general importations were 120,000,000 francs, the special im. portations were 110,904,000 francs. Since about 5,000,000 francs of leather and 4,000,000 francs of tobacco passed as transits or entered the bonded warehouses, and the special imports of wood exceeded the general im. ports by 137,000, francs, all the free articles of the table, which embrace all excepting leather, tobacco, and wood, entered practically as special mports, irrespective of their intended destination.

AMERICAN MANUFACTURES. Another faet is worthy of remark; of the twelve categories, comprising 98 per cent. of the whole imports, only one represents the manufactures of the United States, viz, leather, which unfortunately shows the only serious decrease for 1876. All the others, about 95 per cent. of the importations from the United States, are the natural prodactions of our country in a crude state, or at most subjected to po extensive processes requiring manual or skilled labor. The miscellaneous includes certain articles, such as machinery, mercery, books, and objects of art, that, with leather and cigars, make up the total of manufactures of the United States imported to this country.

Heretofore the imports of machinery have included pumps, sewingmachines, and a few agricultural instruments, such as lawn-mowers and grain-reapers; other objects, such as lamps, plain glassware, toys, and electroplated silverware, have been offered and favorably received, but in certain cases the prices were too high for the market. In some cases cotton fabrics, shirting and unbleached muslins, have been successfully imported in small quantities, bnt the duty on cotton prints, 15 per cent. aivalorem, amounts to an embargo against their profitable importation. The high prices bare been in general the cause of the scarcity of our manufactures npon the Belgian market, for the masses of the people care more for cheapness and strength than for the elegance and utility which are acknowledged on all bands to characterize the American man. ufactured articles. Recently, however, greater efforts are being put forth to introduce more generally such articles as hardware of all kinds, tools, cutlery, lamps, stoves, school-apparatus, slates, pencils, and maps, wheel-bubs, iron safes, horseshoes, and nails; in fact, our manufact. arers are boldly invading every domain of trade, irrespective of national specialties, and, aided by the reduction of labor and the slıriokage of values, with the great development of the employment of machinery in the United States, they have brilliant opportunities before them.

Although the Flemish are very slow to adopt new articles even when their superiority is unquestioned, being constitutionally opposed to new modes of life or implements of labor, yet they cannot resist the strong appeal of economy, as may be seen in present extensive use of Ameri. can petroleum, salt meats, and lard. But it would require great effort to place in the hands of the peasantry new-shaped scythes or shovels. Horerer, the only unknown quantity in the problem of introduction left to be solved is what momentary sacrifices must our manufacturers and exporters make to reduce prices to such figures that their cheapDess will overcome natural peculiarities. For if the prices can be suti. ciently redaced, the markets can be won. To solve the problem there is only one method left, viz, to give it a fair, honest trial; and at no period in the history of nations have the commercial conditions exist. ing between the two countries been more favorable than at the pres. eat.