Commerce.
After entering on a régime of free trade in 1860 France gradually reverted towards protection; this system triumphed in the Customs Law of 1892, which imposed more or less considerable duties on imports—a law associated with the name of M. Méline. While raising the taxes both on agricultural products and manufactured goods, this law introduced, between France and all the powers trading with her, relations different from those in the past. It left the government free either to apply to foreign countries the general tariff or to enter into negotiations with them for the application, under certain conditions, of a minimum tariff. The policy of protection was further accentuated by raising the impost on corn from 5 to 7 francs per hectolitre (2¾ bushels). This system, however, which is opposed by a powerful party, has at various times undergone modifications. On the one hand it became necessary, in face of an inadequate harvest, to suspend in 1898 the application of the law on the import of corn. On the other hand, in order to check the decline of exports and neutralize the harmful effects of a prolonged customs war, a commercial treaty was in 1896 concluded with Switzerland, carrying with it a reduction, in respect of certain articles, of the imposts which had been fixed by the law of 1892. An accord was likewise in 1898 effected with Italy, which since 1886 had been in a state of economic rupture with France, and in July 1899 an accord was concluded with the United States of America. Almost all other countries, moreover, share in the benefit of the minimum tariff, and profit by the modifications it may successively undergo.
Commerce, in Millions of Pounds Sterling.
| General | Special | |||||
| Imports. | Exports. | Total. | Imports. | Exports. | Total. | |
| 1876-1880 | 210.1 | 175.3 | 385.4 | 171.7 | 135.1 | 306.8 |
| 1881-1885 | 224.1 | 177.8 | 401.9 | 183.4 | 135.3 | 318.7 |
| 1886-1890 | 208.2 | 179.4 | 387.6 | 168.8 | 137.6 | 306.4 |
| 1891-1895 | 205.9 | 178.6 | 384.5 | 163.0 | 133.8 | 296.8 |
| 1896-1900 | 237.8 | 201.0 | 438.8 | 171.9 | 150.8 | 322.7 |
| 1901-1905 | 233.3 | 227.5 | 460.8 | 182.8 | 174.7 | 357.5 |
| Imports. | Exports. | |||
| Value (Thousands of £). | Per cent of Total Value. | Value (Thousands of £). | Per cent of Total Value. | |
| Articles of Food— | ||||
| 1886-1890 | 58,856 | 34.9 | 30,830 | 22.4 |
| 1891-1895 | 50,774 | 30.9 | 28,287 | 21.1 |
| 1896-1900 | 42,488 | 24.9 | 27,838 | 18.6 |
| 1901-1905 | 33,631 | 18.4 | 28,716 | 16.5 |
| Raw Materials[13] | ||||
| 1886-1890 | 85,778 | 50.8 | 33,848 | 24.6 |
| 1891-1895 | 88,211 | 54.3 | 32,557 | 24.4 |
| 1896-1900 | 101,727 | 59.2 | 40,060 | 26.6 |
| 1901-1905 | 116,580 | 63.8 | 47,385 | 27.1 |
| Articles Manufactured[14] | ||||
| 1886-1890 | 24,125 | 14.3 | 72,917 | 53.0 |
| 1891-1895 | 24,054 | 14.8 | 72,906 | 54.5 |
| 1896-1900 | 27,330 | 15.9 | 82,270 | 54.8 |
| 1901-1905 | 32,554 | 17.8 | 98,582 | 56.4 |
Being in the main a self-supporting country France carries on most of her trade within her own borders, and ranks below Great Britain, Germany and the United States in volume of exterior trade. The latter is subdivided into general commerce, which includes all goods entering or leaving the country, and special commerce which includes imports for home use and exports of home produce. The above table shows the developments of French trade during the years from 1876 to 1905 by means of quinquennial averages. A permanent body (the commission permanente des valeurs) fixes the average prices of the articles in the customs list; this value is estimated at the end of the year in accordance with the variations that have taken place and is applied provisionally to the following year.
Amongst imports raw materials (wool, cotton and silk, coal, oil-seeds, timber, &c.) hold the first place, articles of food (cereals, wine, coffee, &c.) and manufactured goods (especially machinery) ranking next. Amongst exports manufactured goods (silk, cotton and woollen goods, fancy wares, apparel, &c.) come before raw materials and articles of food (wine and dairy products bought chiefly by England).
Divided into these classes the imports and exports (special trade) for quinquennial periods from 1886 to 1905 averaged as shown in the preceding table.
The decline both in imports and in exports of articles of food, which is the most noteworthy fact exhibited in the preceding table, was due to the almost prohibitive tax in the Customs Law of 1892, upon agricultural products.
The average value of the principal articles of import and export (special trade) over quinquennial periods following 1890 is shown in the two tables below.