The table given below shows what are the principal products imported by the Argentine Republic, and show the considerable increase which has taken place in all branches of importation:—

1906.1907.1908.1909.
(1st six months)
Alimentary products£3,532,509£4,183,187£4,709,819£2,226,053
Beverages2,358,8082,526,7482,655,9561,155,965
Textile materials and fabrics10,826,0089,466,6389,982,2675,787,076
Mineral oils, and chemical and pharmaceutical products3,092,7663,254,6534,048,1752,174,871
Woods, furniture, etc.1,122,4441,272,0081,262,573728,178
Iron, machines, materials, implements, utensils, etc.6,988,4616,632,2286,015,0973,401,912
Coal and other mineral produce4,182,1604,126,9104,979,8392,229,224
Variousproducts[75]21,890,94625,709,76320,960,82010,544,272
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Totals53,994,10257,172,13554,594,54628,507,351
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[75] Under this heading of various products are included railway material—rails, chairs, locomotives, etc.—to the value of £4,672,486 in 1905, £7,011,072 in 1906, £10,464,150 in 1907, £6,015,097 in 1908, and £3,401,912 during the first six months of 1909. Building materials amounted in value to £4,400,339 in 1906, £4,604,078 in 1907, £4,236,485 in 1908, and £2,492,276 in the first half of 1909.

We see from this table that the Argentine relies on foreign imports for the greater number of metallic, chemical, and textile products, and even for a great many food-stuffs. An essentially agricultural nation, she has not as yet developed her industrial equipment, nor has she been able to undertake the transformation of the raw materials at her disposal into manufactured products. The development of her agriculture is the object which has hitherto absorbed all the initiative and all the capital of the country.

It is this dependence upon foreign countries for so many articles of prime necessity that makes the cost of living in the Argentine so high. All these articles have to pay customs dues varying from 5 to 50 per cent. ad

valorem; dues which still further increase the exaggerated valuations of the Customs Administration.

On the other hand, these imports are by no means so decentralised as the exports; they are brought as near as possible to the centres of consumption, so that they shall not be forced to pay fresh freight dues in the interior. The Customs House of Buenos Ayres handles 84·9 per cent. of the imports; Rosario 9·2 per cent.; La Plata 1·9 per cent., and Bahia Blanca ·8 per cent. As we see by these figures, the Federal Capital almost monopolises the imports, whence arises its disproportionate development as compared with the rest of the country.

Exports

Here is the table of the exports of the last three years, arranged according to their destination, in order of importance:—

Destination.1906190719081909
(1st six months)
Great Britain[76]£8,644,80710,743,23015,644,94410,207,653
France7,152,6717,552,4095,782,7504,761,514
Germany7,883,4397,284,6116,950,3994,280,523
Belgium5,124,2795,918,4267,155,6375,531,015
Brazil2,378,2632,803,6863,019,1151,729,824
United States2,666,4222,188,0872,604,6472,411,460
Italy1,381,2251,043,8931,581,5711,508,815
Holland595,047834,8181,059,934623,634
Spain514,515387,121519,920248,823
Chili277,107370,133307,501297,018
South Africa791,606303,118172,08824,662
Uruguay1,006,880275,328154,891112,329
Cuba49,478144,89657,89142,046
Bolivia65,719121,610118,74575,616
Paraguay41,00336,53042,73317,166
Other destinations755,324598,740921,081792,241
Shipments to order19,122,94919,252,89127,085,11917,710,457
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58,450,76659,240,87473,201,06850,354,688
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