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Reference to previous Report, Annual Series No. 4287.

Report on the Trade of Mexico for the Year 1909

By MR. CONSUL-GENERAL STRINGER.

Trade statistics.--The tables annexed hereto, viz., 1 to 4 regarding imports and exports during the Mexican fiscal year ended on June 30, 1909, and 5 to 8 for the last six months of 1908 and 1909, have been prepared from the statements published by the Statistical Department of the Ministry of Finance,

Imports. Table 1.-Imports for the fiscal year 1908-09 show a decrease of 6,661,2461., nearly 30 per cent. as compared with 1907-08. This may be ascribed to the business crisis which lasted throughout the year in Mexico. The bulk of the imports being raw materials for manufacture, machinery and implements for new industries, and articles not absolutely necessary, a decrease in a year of financial depression, when the purchasing power of the country is less, is to be expected.

The United Kingdom still holds the second place in imports, though with a decreased total, like most of the other countries. Among European countries Norway is the only one the imports from which show an increase. It is gratifying to note, however, that Canada increased her share from 83,8867. in the preceding year to 146,6347. in 1908-09, and rose from the 13th to the 8th place in the list of countries from which imports came. There is a considerable import of wheat from Canada, especially when the Mexican crops partially fail, as they did in 1909. The value of the imports from Canada in 1908-09 was more than five times their value in 1906-07, and will probably continue to increase, as there is direct steamship communication between Canadian and Mexican ports, both on the Atlantic and Pacific coasts. Imports from India, Australia and British Honduras shared in the general decrease.

It will be seen from Table 2 that the decrease affected every class of imports.

Tables 5 and 6.--It is gratifying to turn from the returns for the fiscal year 1908-09 to those for the first six months (ending on Decem-ber 31, 1909) of the year 1909-10, which show an increase in imports of 1,421,9007. as compared with the six months ended on December 31, 1908.

Imports from the United Kingdom, India, Canada and British Honduras all show a substantial increase in value, with the United Kingdom second only to the United States, but imports from Australia show a decrease.

The largest increase was in vegetable products, but all classes of imports increased in value, with the exception of machinery and implements, vehicles, and arms and explosives. The depression in the mining business during the past fiscal year is probably accountable for this, and the increased activity and investment of new capital in the mining districts of late should make a better return in imports of machinery, implements and explosives, though the market for vehicles, especially motor cars, appears to be rather over-stocked at present.

As a set-off against the large increase in the value of imports during the half year, it should be stated that during the first quarter of the fiscal year 1909-10 large quantities of crude mineral oil began to be imported, some of which will probably be exported as refined oil, and it is hoped that in time the native oil wells will supply the demand in Mexico. The Mexican grain crops were much damaged by unseasonable frosts in September and October, which necessitated the importation of much foreign grain also.

Exports. Table 3.--Exports for the year ended June 30, 1909, show a decrease of 1,188,0887. as compared with 1907-08, and of 1,726,8627. as compared with 1906-07. Exports to the United States, Canada, Guatemala, Peru and Australia show an increase over 1907-08, while exports to other countries show a decrease. Exports to the United Kingdom and British colonies amounted in 1907-08 to 2,729,7881. and in 1908-09 to 2,550,8197., being a decrease of 178,969). Exports to Canada increased from 19,090l. to 53,7137., and exports to Australia were valued at 2,0417, whereas there were none in the two preceding years.

Table 4. Silver.-The chief product of the Mexican mines being silver, the export of this metal, owing to the crisis through which the mining industry passed in 1908-09, shows a large decrease in comparison with the two preceding fiscal years, the figures being 1906-07, 10,194,2247.; 1907-08, 9,495,0527.; and 1908-09, 7,537,9951. It should be taken into consideration, however, that in the year 1907-08 Mexican dollars (pesos) to the value of 1,087,705. were exported, while in 1908-09 only 2,000 pesos (2047.) were exported.

Gold. The export of gold shows an increase as compared with both preceding years. For the last two fiscal years no Mexican gold coin has been exported, and the increase in the export of gold bullion in 0908-09 is a result of the almost complete suspension of work in the Mexican Mint.

The fact that hardly any Mexican gold or silver currency was exported during the year shows that the balance of trade in favour of Mexico was well maintained.

Copper.-Exports of refined copper did not come up to expectations and decreased instead of increasing, though there was a slight improvement in price. In the past five years the quantity exported has fallen

off almost 50 per cent., and the value from about 2,450,000l. to about 1,531,2507.

There was no great variation in the export of copper ore.

Zinc.-The export of zinc ore also shows no great variation. Owing to the high duty placed on zinc ore by the new United States tariff it is probable that more smelters will be established in Mexico for treatment of the ore, and that more zinc will be shipped to Europe, to the advantage of the zinc mine owners and Mexico in general.

Lead.-Exports of pig lead increased from 104,031 tons, value 545,5887., in 1907-08 to 122,907 tons, value 643,0257., in 1908-09. Henequen.-The export of this fibre was 107,809 tons, value 2,438,0277., while in 1907-08 it was 110,746 tons, value 2,758,2241.

Coffee. The export of coffee increased from 21,459 tons, value 1,081,3157., in 1907-08 to 26,692 tons, value 1,260,5677., in 1908-09.

Other vegetable products.-Exports of timber, raw tobacco, dyewoods, chickpeas, and vanilla all decreased, but the tonnage of rubber (including guayule rubber) increased from 5,624 tons in 1907-08 to 6,015 tons in 1908-09, though the value of the export decreased slightly.

The export of guayule shrubs, for making rubber, increased. about 275 per cent., viz., from 1,293 tons, value 125,8527., in 1907-08 to 3,022 tons, value 463,5677., in 1908-09. Fresh fruit, for which there is an excellent market in the United States, increased from 7,239 tons, value 38,4301., in 1907-08 to 9,351 tons, value 49,305l., in 1908-09.

Animals and animal products.-The value of the export of livestock was 406,3387. as against 227,4107. in 1907-08. The exportation ` of cattle is likely to increase, as the Government encourages stockraising, and many parts of Mexico are well adapted for it. The export of raw hides increased from 11,257 tons, value 692,885l., in 1907-08 to 15,387 tons, value 920,4317.

Manufactured articles.-The export of the principal manufactured products were as follows:

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Table 7.-Exports during the first six months of 1909-10 show an increase of 1,349,6837. as compared with the corresponding period of 1908-09.

Exports to the United States, France, Belgium, Cuba, Canada, Italy, Russia, Panama and other countries increased, while exports to the United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, Guatemala, British Honduras, Peru and the Netherlands decreased.

Table 8.-Exports which increased were silver, gold, copper, rubber (including guayule), which rose in value from 528,3137. to 1,042,1877., chickpeas, ixtle fibre, zacaton root, vanilla, cotton, other vegetable products, cattle, hides, other animal products, palm-leaf hats and other

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