Whilst the figures quoted in these and the following tables for the fiscal year of 1907 may be looked upon as showing the normal condition and growth, the figures for 1908 have shown a considerable decrease, amounting to more than a million sterling on the imports, and more than half a million in the exports. In both cases, however, they are in excess of the amounts for the year 1906. The principal decrease is in the trade with the United States, and in fact, the fluctuation has been brought about by the monetary stringency that has prevailed in Mexico following upon the financial crisis in the United States, which has affected business to a considerable extent. It must take a year or so for these conditions to right themselves, but they are far from being permanent.
It is to be recollected that Mexico is called upon to pay large sums annually to the foreign holders of her National Debt, which calls for £2,400,000, and to the railway bondholders, in £2,500,000, and other amounts paid out as dividends by the banks to various private enterprises, a total which, of course, largely exceeds the trade balance due to exports, and which is covered by the investment of foreign capital in the country.
The character and value of the imported articles for the year and sum above given, which are instructive as showing the present wants of Mexico, are shown in the following table, year 1906-1907:—
| £ | |
| Animal substances | 1,923,400 |
| Vegetable substances | 3,173,100 |
| Mineral substances | 8,287,200 |
| Textile products | 2,650,000 |
| Chemical products | 950,700 |
| Wines and liquors | 729,600 |
| Paper, etc. | 602,700 |
| Machinery, etc. | 2,773,600 |
| Vehicles | 900,000 |
| Arms, explosives | 390,800 |
| Miscellaneous | 955,400 |
| £23,336,300 | |
| ======= |
The exports for the similar period, as detailed in the following table, with their values, show the wide range of Mexican products which are purchased by other countries. Fractions are omitted:
| Mineral Products. | £ |
| Mexican gold coin | 3,000 |
| Foreign gold coin | 1,000 |
| Gold bullion | 1,890,600 |
| Other gold | 492,800 |
| Mexican silver coin | 2,452,200 |
| Foreign silver coin | 16,800 |
| Silver bullion | 6,319,100 |
| Other silver | 1,986,800 |
| Copper | 2,801,800 |
| Lead | 364,500 |
| Zinc | 201,000 |
| Antimony | 142,700 |
| Other mineral products | 119,300 |
| Total mineral products | £16,246,000 |
| ======= | |
| Vegetable Products. | £ |
| Henequen (hemp) | 3,144,000 |
| Coffee | 723,700 |
| India-rubber and guayule | 667,900 |
| Pease | 408,500 |
| Ixtle fibre | 381,300 |
| Vanilla | 266,200 |
| Timber | 217,000 |
| Chicle (chewing gum) | 214,500 |
| Tobacco, raw | 189,500 |
| Broom root | 183,100 |
| Frijol beans | 86,370 |
| Dyewood | 74,000 |
| Fresh fruits | 34,000 |
| Mulberry wood | 9,500 |
| Guayule, raw | 6,100 |
| With other vegetable products, giving a total of | £7,181,000 |
| ======= | |
| Animal Products. | £ |
| Cattle | 156,000 |
| Hides and skins | 887,500 |
| Other matters | 76,700 |
| Total | £1,115,200 |
| ======= | |
| Manufactured Products. | £ |
| Sugar | 116,400 |
| Cotton seed, meat and cakes | 84,630 |
| Palmetto hats | 63,120 |
| Tobacco | 50,000 |
| Tanned hides, &c. | 3,500 |
| With other matters making a total of | £377,000 |
| ====== |
By the foregoing it is seen that the export of precious metal is equal approximately to half the total. Mexican silver coinage is exported largely to the Orient, and silver bullion to Europe; whilst among vegetable products the hemp exports take nearly half the total value. Mexico's principal market for most of her staple food and textile products is at home, so the export is small.