GENERAL STATISTICS
During the past twenty years the foreign trade of Argentina and Uruguay
(especially that of the former country) has developed very largely and
rapidly; its increase during the decade 1904-1913 being, in the case
of Argentina, 108½% and in that of Uruguay 104%. The increase in both
cases is considerably greater than that of the trade of any other South
American country; as will be seen from the following figures:—
$
_Argentina._ 1913 996,215,998
1904 477,985,737
-----------
gold 518,230,261 108·5% increase.
===========
_Uruguay._ 1913 119,500,000
1904 58,481,343
-----------
Uruguayan 61,018,657 104% ”
===========
_Chile._ 1913 725,828,254
1904 370,149,864
-----------
Chilian 355,678,390 94·5% ”
===========
_Brazil._ 1913 1,976,733,388
1904 1,288,955,306
-------------
milreis 687,778,082 54% ”
=============
The figure $996,215,998 gold if divided by 7,731,257, representing the
population of Argentina, gives $129 gold, or £25 11s. 10d., value of
trade per inhabitant of that country; a very high figure indeed. The
value of the trade of Uruguay per head of her population is £21 3s. 6d.
In 1913 Argentina alone provided the markets of the United Kingdom with
cereals and meat to the value of £34,500,000 of a total of £92,300,000,
or nearly 37½% of its total supplies. During the same year Uruguay sent
meat to the United Kingdom to the value of some £202,000 sterling.
UNITED KINGDOM IMPORTS IN 1913
_Wheat_ £ £
1. From United States 13,953,072
2. ” Canada 8,803,949
3. ” British East Indies 7,998,552
4. ” ARGENTINE REPUBLIC 6,149,195
5. ” Australia 4,426,629
6. ” Russia 1,984,964
” Other countries 544,539 43,860,900
----------
_Maize_
1. From ARGENTINE REPUBLIC 10,851,874
2. ” United States 1,923,321
3. ” Russia 489,993
4. ” Roumania 286,600
5. ” Canada 64,773
” Other countries 153,781 13,770,342
----------
_Linseed_
1. From ARGENTINE REPUBLIC 2,398,629
2. ” British East Indies 1,564,428
3. ” Russia 228,167
4. ” United States 98,366
” Other countries 2,905,803 7,195,393
----------
_Chilled and Frozen Meat_
1. From ARGENTINE REPUBLIC 12,815,002
2. ” Australia 2,133,951
3. ” URUGUAY 706,816
4. ” New Zealand 393,429
5. ” United States 3,119
” Other countries 11,914 16,064,231
----------
_Frozen Mutton_
1. From New Zealand 4,965,310
2. ” Australia 3,128,439
3. ” ARGENTINE REPUBLIC 1,908,255
4. ” URUGUAY 303,528
” Other countries 293,133 10,598,665
----------
_Sundry Meats Frozen_
1. From ARGENTINE REPUBLIC 455,561
2. ” United States 155,966
” Other countries 216,526 828,053
---------- ----------
Total 92,317,584
==========
The value of the U.K. Imports from Argentine and Uruguay was considerably
increased during 1915.
In 1913 values of the exports of the United Kingdom to the four most
commercially important countries of South America were:—
£ sterling.
To the Argentine Republic 23,430,246
” Brazil 13,015,769
” Chile 6,366,944
” Uruguay 3,027,568
Of the total value of the sales of the United Kingdom in the whole of
South America, Argentina received 45%, amounting to £52,033,764 sterling.
POSITIONS HELD BY ARGENTINA AND URUGUAY RESPECTIVELY IN THE EXPORT TRADE
OF THE UNITED KINGDOM ACCORDING TO BRITISH OFFICIAL PUBLICATIONS, 1913.
Value of exports from Great
Britain to: £
1 East Indies 71,738,755
2 Germany 60,573,457
3 United States 59,536,352
4 France 40,876,731
5 Australasia 37,852,929
6 Russia 27,705,660
7 Canada 27,235,355
8 South Africa 24,373,018
9 ARGENTINA 23,430,246
10 Belgium 20,667,519
11 Holland 20,605,137
12 Italy 15,620,393
13 China 15,016,023
14 Japan 14,837,948
15 Brazil 13,015,769
16 New Zealand 11,776,261
17 Egypt 9,966,948
18 Sweden 9,241,874
19 Spain 8,655,196
20 Turkey 7,992,712
21 West Africa 7,166,222
22 Norway 6,669,089
23 Chile 6,366,946
24 Denmark 6,340,773
25 Austria-Hungary 5,786,077
26 Switzerland 5,106,764
27 Portugal 3,935,802
28 URUGUAY 3,027,568
29 West Indies 2,716,545
30 Greece 2,597,227
31 Mexico 2,549,265
32 East Africa 1,443,859
33 Costa Rica 247,093
-----------
Total including other
countries £635,117,134
============
Per
capita
Population. £
1 New Zealand 1,028,160 11·45
2 Australasia 4,802,174 7·88
3 South Africa 5,973,394 4·08
4 Canada 7,758,000 3·51
5 Holland 6,114,302 3·37
6 ARGENTINA 7,731,257 3·03
7 Belgium 7,571,387 2·73
8 Norway 2,437,646 2·73
9 URUGUAY 1,112,000 2·72
10 Denmark 2,775,076 2·29
11 Chile 3,505,317 1·90
12 Sweden 5,638,583 1·62
13 West Indies 1,709,732 1·59
14 Switzerland 3,781,430 1·30
15 France 39,601,509 1·03
16 Greece 2,666,000 0·97
17 Germany 64,925,993 0·93
18 Egypt 11,287,359 0·88
19 Portugal 5,960,056 0·66
20 United States 91,972,266 0·65
21 Costa Rica 388,266 0·63
22 Brazil 23,070,969 0·55
23 East Africa 2,651,892 0·54
24 Italy 34,671,377 0·45
25 Spain 19,639,000 0·44
26 Turkey 21,273,900 0·38
27 West Africa 20,176,635 0·35
28 Japan 52,985,423 0·28
29 East Indies 315,156,396 0·23
30 Russia 171,059,900 0·16
31 Mexico 15,063,207 0·16
32 Austria-Hungary 49,458,421 0·12
33 China 320,650,000 0·05
During the five years 1908-1912 48½% of the whole maize imported by the
United Kingdom came from Argentina; or only a little less than the total
quantity of that imported from the United States, Roumania, Russia,
India, Natal, Canada, Bulgaria and the Cape of Good Hope.
In respect of the total issue of Capital in the United Kingdom during the
first six months of 1914, Argentina ranked _first_ (with £12,809,200 as
against £12,244,100 which went to Russia) among the foreign countries for
which such issues were destined; and _third_ if British Possessions are
included in the comparison.
1913
THE TRADE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA WITH THE REPUBLICS OF SOUTH
AMERICA IS SHOWN IN THE FOLLOWING TABLES COMPILED FROM AMERICAN OFFICIAL
STATISTICS
--------------------+------------+------------+------------------------
| | | BALANCE OF TRADE
| IMPORTS | EXPORTS +-----------+------------
| — | — | In favour | Against
| American | American | of U.S.A. | U.S.A.
| Dollars | Dollars | American | American
| | | Dollars | Dollars
--------------------+------------+------------+-----------+------------
ARGENTINE REPUBLIC | 26,863,732 | 52,894,834 |26,031,102 | —
URUGUAY | 2,450,697 | 7,522,145 | 5,071,448 | —
Guiana (British) | 105,933 | 1,813,745 | 1,707,812 | —
Bolivia | 350 | 940,744 | 940,394 | —
Guiana (French) | 86,386 | 337,714 | 251,328 | —
Paraguay | 58,285 | 187,867 | 129,582 | —
Falkland Islands | — | 725 | 725 | —
Brazil |120,155,855 | 42,638,467 | — | 77,517,388
Chile | 27,655,420 | 16,076,763 | — | 11,578,657
Columbia | 15,992,321 | 7,397,696 | — | 8,594,625
Venezuela | 10,852,331 | 5,737,118 | — | 5,115,213
Peru | 9,666,579 | 7,341,903 | — | 2,324,676
Ecuador | 3,037,689 | 2,553,785 | — | 483,904
Guiana (Dutch) | 821,460 | 704,487 | — | 116,973
+------------+------------+-----------+------------
|217,747,038 |146,147,993 |34,132,391 |105,731,436
===================================================
VALUE OF MERCHANDISE EXPORTED FROM THE UNITED STATES TO THE REPUBLICS OF
SOUTH AMERICA IN THE YEAR 1913, SHOWING THE IMPORTANCE OF THE ARGENTINE
MARKET
To the ARGENTINE REPUBLIC — $52,894,834
” Brazil $42,638,467
” URUGUAY 7,522,145
” Ecuador 2,553,785
” Paraguay 187,867 52,902,264
------------
” Chile 16,076,763
” Columbia 7,397,696
” Peru 7,341,903
” Venezuela 5,737,118
” Guiana (British) 1,813,745
” Bolivia 940,744
” Guiana (Dutch) 704,487
” Guiana (French) 337,714
” Falkland Islands 725 40,350,895
------------ -----------
Total value of sales to South America. Dollars 146,147,993
===========
The Argentine Republic received 36·2% of total.
Argentina and Brazil divide practically between them the South American
export trade of the United States, Argentina taking by far the larger
share, and well over one-third of the whole received by all the South
American countries put together. The value of the Argentine imports from
the United States in 1913 amounted to $52,894,834 (U.S.A.), while Uruguay
took U.S.A. goods to the value of $6,531,626 (U.S.A.).
ARGENTINE IMPORTS FROM EUROPE, 1913
During the year 1913 the Argentine Republic purchased in Europe the
following amounts:—
$ gold.
In the United Kingdom 130,886,587
” Germany 71,311,628
” France 38,075,811
” Italy 34,789,741
” Belgium 21,953,910
” Spain 12,389,607
” Austria-Hungary 5,933,444
” Holland 4,074,104
” Sweden 3,123,889
” Switzerland 2,749,682
” Portugal 585,975
” Russia 447,845
” Denmark 204,106
” Turkey 127,026
” Roumania, Bulgaria and Greece 119,989
---------
£64,835,981 = gold $326,773,344
Purchased in other parts
of the world £18,765,714 = ” $94,579,199
Total £83,601,695 = ” $421,352,543
Where will these purchases be made in the future?
GOLD (Argentina)
Years. Imports. Exports. Balance.
1904 24,917,951 1,604,292 23,313,659
1905 32,559,540 819,375 31,740,165
1906 18,212,323 1,545,622 16,666,701
1907 23,552,726 3,133,886 20,418,840
1908 28,651,215 44,817 28,606,398
1909 67,453,816 1,247,831 66,205,985
1910 37,027,936 1,669,892 35,358,044
1911 12,764,236 3,008,597 9,755,639
1912 36,077,807 585,621 35,492,186
1913 47,941,425 43,417,484 4,523,941
----------- ---------- -----------
$ gold 329,158,975 57,077,417 272,081,558
----------- ---------- -----------
= £65,309,320 11,324,884 53,984,436
=========== ========== ===========
It is regrettable, from several points of view, that the National
Statistics of Uruguay are not kept and published with the same
promptitude and regularity as those of Argentina, to say nothing of
the admirable clearness of the forms in which the latter are issued.
The Uruguayan authorities should really know that the absence of any
complete scheme of statistical information regarding their country is
more than apt to preserve a very common though erroneous impression
that Uruguay can be of but little account since so little is known or
heard of it. Little indeed is known with any accuracy of its production,
outside the circle of persons directly interested in its trade; but this
obscurity is due only to indifference to and negligence of the art of
self-assertion.
[Illustration: INTERNATIONAL TRADE OF ARGENTINA, BRAZIL, CHILE, AND
URUGUAY]
In point of fact Uruguay might well be proud of the statistics of her
productivity; for, in reality, she has more cattle than and nearly
as many sheep as the Argentine Province of Buenos Aires while her
superficial area is only some two-thirds of that of that Province.
Uruguay exports wool to the average value of some £4,000,000, hides
£1,500,000, frozen and chilled meat £1,110,000, and animals on the hoof
£230,000 annually. The value of its wheat exports for the five years
ending 1910 has been stated at £730,000; flour £234,000, maize £82,000
and linseed £460,000 during the same period. As we have seen, the value
of Uruguayan trade for the year 1913 was £23,900,000, and this figure, as
well as those representing Cereal production and exports, are likely to
be rapidly increased under normal conditions.
INCREASE OF ARGENTINE CEREAL EXPORTS IN TEN YEARS
1904. $ gold. 1913. $ gold.
Wheat 66,947,891 102,631,143
Maize 44,391,196 112,292,394
Linseed 28,359,923 49,910,201
Oats 541,973 20,447,278
----------- -----------
140,240,983 285,281,016
=========== ===========
INCREASE OF ARGENTINE MEAT EXPORTS IN TWENTY-NINE YEARS
1885. $ gold. 1913. $ gold.
Live stock: cattle 2,345,313 6,848,830
” ” sheep 58,552 311,991
Chilled and frozen beef 1,680 36,622,889
Frozen mutton 75,323 3,674,206
Sundry meats frozen — 910,311
” ” preserved — 1,257,391
Extract of meat — 1,598,136
Powdered meat — 1,097,566
Preserved tongues — 131,952
Condensed soup — 375,392
Jerked beef 4,204,077 658,097
--------- ----------
$ gold 6,684,945 53,486,761
--------- ----------
=£ 1,326,378 10,612,452
========= ==========
INCREASE OF TOTAL ARGENTINE EXPORTS IN TEN YEARS
$ gold.
1904: Total exports 264,157,525
1913: ” ” 483,504,547
-----------
Increase 219,347,022
===========
INCREASE OF TOTAL URUGUAYAN EXPORTS IN EIGHT YEARS
During 1905 $ (Uruguayan) 30,774,247
” 1912 ” 51,000,000
----------
Increase, say, $20,226,000 = £4,303,000
========================
Wool constitutes about nine-tenths of the exports of Uruguay.
Up to and including 1907 the Imports of Uruguay were in excess of her
Exports. In 1908, however, the balance went the other way and is likely
to remain there.
The excess of Exports over Imports in 1908 was valued at $2,840,206
(Uruguayan) and in 1909 at $7,966,658. In 1912 the Imports appear to
have risen to $49,380,000 as against exports $51,000,000. Probably these
last figures are roughly accurate; but the last year for which any full
official Statistics appear to have been published was 1911.
As has already been seen, the chief countries of destination of Argentine
Exports prior to the War were (generally in the following order): The
United Kingdom, Germany, France, Belgium, Brazil, the United States,
Holland and Italy. Those of Uruguay went chiefly to France, Belgium,
Germany, Argentina and the United Kingdom. While Argentina Imported
principally from the United Kingdom, Germany, the United States, France,
Italy, Belgium and Spain; and Uruguay from the United Kingdom, Germany,
the United States, France, Italy, Belgium and Argentina.
The Surplus of Revenue over Expenditure in both Republics may appear
to remain always so small as only just to have avoided conversion into
deficits. It should, however, be recollected that these countries are
constantly engaged in carrying out Public Works which are necessary to
the fuller development of their natural resources; such, for instance, as
the very important new Port Works of Buenos Aires and Montevideo and the
great Argentine systems of irrigation. Were the excess of Revenue greater
it would still be spent, and wisely spent, on National Public Works and
Improvements; which are the best assurance of its future which either
country could make.
An instance of the rapid Commercial progress of the River Plate Countries
is the fact that whereas in 1872 there were but four Banks in Argentina,
in 1913 there were 143.
The latest (1914) Commercial and Industrial Census of the City of Buenos
Aires shows that the number of Commercial (chiefly wholesale and retail
trading) establishments in that City has increased from 17,985, as shown
by the previous Census of 1904, to 29,600—an increase of 65%—while the
number of Factories and Manufacturing establishments which in 1904 was
8,877 was in 1914 11,132—an increase of 25%. The motive power employed in
these last-mentioned establishments has increased during the same period
from 19,458 h.p. to 194,411 h.p.—an increase of 900%—while the number of
persons employed has increased 112%.
An amusing but characteristic note is struck by comparison of the figures
representing the annual sales of flour and tobacco respectively, the
former being nearly $48,000,000 (paper) and the latter nearly £44,000,000
(paper).
Not such a great difference between the money spent in Buenos Aires on
flour, much of which is exported, and on tobacco, which is all home
consumed! Another is that nearly 1% of the whole population of the City
consists of Medical Men; Brokers and Commission Agents (clubbed together
and classed as professional men by the Census) run them very close, with
Builders a good third, and the rest, in the sporting sense, nowhere.
Most of the wholesale and retail traders are Italians, Spaniards and
Argentines, in this order; the Italians being in both cases nearly three
times and the Spaniards nearly twice as numerous as the Argentines.
After them come French, Russians (chiefly Jewish), Levantines and
Egyptians (locally known as “Turcos”), Uruguayans, German, British and
other nationalities in commerce; and French, Russians, Levantines and
Egyptians, Belgians, Danes and Portuguese and other nationalities as
Manufacturers.
A good many establishments of both classes are, however, shown to belong
to Argentines and foreigners in partnership.
It is due to the compilers of the Census to remark that they have treated
“Jews” as pertaining to a separate nationality, though therefore there is
possibly some confusion under the heading “Russians.”