Imports.
| Country. | 1905. | 1906. | 1907. | |||
| Value in £1000. | Percentage of Germany’s Total Imports. | Value in £1000. | Percentage of Germany’s Total Imports. | Value in £1000. | Percentage of Germany’s Total Imports. | |
| Belgium | 13,439 | 3.8 | 14,315 | 3.6 | 14,586 | 3.4 |
| Denmark | 5,986 | 1.7 | 6,302 | 1.6 | 6,050 | 1.4 |
| France | 19,772 | 5.6 | 21,306 | 5.4 | 22,302 | 5.2 |
| United Kingdom | 35,320 | 10.1 | 40,531 | 10.3 | 48,014 | 11.2 |
| Italy | 10,350 | 3 | 11,851 | 3 | 14,030 | 3.3 |
| Netherlands | 12,077 | 3 | 11,864 | 3 | 11,187 | 2.6 |
| Austria-Hungary | 36,974 | 10.6 | 39,814 | 10.1 | 39,939 | 9.3 |
| Rumania | 4,568 | 1.3 | 5,774 | 1.5 | 7,365 | 1.7 |
| Russia | 47,816 | 13.6 | 52,528 | 13.4 | 54,447 | 12.7 |
| Sweden | 5,887 | 1.7 | 7,359 | 1.9 | 8,457 | 2 |
| Switzerland | 8,980 | 2.6 | 10,659 | 2.9 | 10,366 | 2.4 |
| Spain | 5,742 | 1.6 | 7,410 | 1.9 | 6,878 | 1.6 |
| British South Africa | 1,769 | 0.5 | 1,766 | 0.4 | 2,258 | 0.5 |
| Dominion of Canada | 481 | 0.1 | 463 | 0.1 | 483 | 0.1 |
| New Zealand | 75 | .. | 87 | .. | 94 | .. |
| British West Africa | 2,562 | 0.7 | 2,731 | 0.7 | 3,601 | 0.8 |
| British India | 13,657 | 3.9 | 15,842 | 4 | 20,016 | 4.7 |
| Dutch Indies | 5,848 | 1.7 | 7,002 | 1.8 | 9,199 | 2.1 |
| Argentine Republic | 18,150 | 5.2 | 18,302 | 4.7 | 21,756 | 5.1 |
| Brazil | 8,454 | 2.4 | 9,246 | 2.4 | 9,636 | 2.2 |
| Chile | 6,536 | 1.9 | 7,131 | 1.8 | 7,074 | 1.6 |
| United States | 48,770 | 13.9 | 60,787 | 15.4 | 64,864 | 15.1 |
| Commonwealth of Australia | 7,690 | 2.2 | 8,619 | 2.2 | 11,209 | 2.6 |
Exports.
| Country. | 1905. | 1906. | 1907. | |||
| Value in £1000. | Percentage of Germany’s Total Exports. | Value in £1000. | Percentage of Germany’s Total Exports. | Value in £1000. | Percentage of Germany’s Total Exports. | |
| Belgium | 15,364 | 5.5 | 17,509 | 5.6 | 16,861 | 5 |
| Denmark | 8,668 | 3.1 | 9,699 | 3.1 | 10,182 | 3 |
| France | 14,420 | 5.1 | 18,815 | 6 | 22,080 | 6.6 |
| United Kingdom | 51,253 | 18.2 | 52,473 | 16.8 | 52,135 | 15.5 |
| Italy | 8,045 | 2.9 | 11,354 | 3.6 | 14,893 | 4.4 |
| Netherlands | 21,295 | 7.6 | 21,799 | 7 | 22,232 | 6.6 |
| Norway | 3,447 | 1.2 | 3,573 | 1.2 | 4,211 | 1.3 |
| Austria-Hungary | 28,526 | 10.1 | 31,926 | 10.2 | 35,231 | 10.5 |
| Rumania | 2,144 | 0.8 | 3,140 | 1 | 3,372 | 1 |
| Russia | 17,027 | 6 | 19,962 | 6.4 | 21,531 | 6.4 |
| Sweden | 7,653 | 2.7 | 8,675 | 2.8 | 9,177 | 2.7 |
| Switzerland | 17,649 | 6.3 | 18,367 | 5.9 | 21,948 | 6.5 |
| Spain | 2,609 | 0.9 | 2,838 | 0.9 | 3,228 | 1 |
| British South Africa | 1,687 | 0.6 | 1,607 | 0.5 | 1,422 | 0.4 |
| Dominion of Canada | 1,071 | 0.4 | 1,203 | 0.4 | 1,456 | 0.4 |
| New Zealand | 227 | 0.1 | 244 | 0.1 | 263 | 0.1 |
| Turkey | 3,484 | 1.3 | 3,357 | 1.1 | 4,011 | 1.2 |
| British India | 4,226 | 1.5 | 5,011 | 1.6 | 4,868 | 1.4 |
| China | 3,727 | 1.3 | 3,331 | 1.1 | 3,105 | 0.9 |
| Japan | 4,158 | 1.5 | 4,328 | 1.4 | 5,036 | 1.5 |
| Argentine Republic | 6,463 | 2.3 | 8,367 | 2.7 | 8,810 | 2.6 |
| Brazil | 3,525 | 1.3 | 4,364 | 1.4 | 5,118 | 1.5 |
| United States | 26,660 | 9.5 | 31,281 | 10 | 32,070 | 9.5 |
| Commonwealth of Australia | 2,264 | 0.8 | 2,863 | 0.9 | 3,004 | 0.9 |
The commerce of Germany shows an upward tendency, which progresses pari passu with its greatly increased production. The export of ships from the United Kingdom to the empire decreased during two years, 1903 (£305,682) and 1904 (£365,062), almost to a vanishing point, German yards being able to cope with the demands made upon them for the supply of vessels of all classes, including mercantile vessels and ships of war. In 1905 and subsequent years, however, the degree of employment in German yards increased to such an extent, principally owing to the placing of the Admiralty contracts with private builders, that the more urgent orders for mercantile vessels were placed abroad.
The following tables give the value of trade between the United Kingdom and Germany in 1900 and 1905:—
| Staple Imports into the United Kingdom from Germany. | 1900. | 1905. |
| £ | £ | |
| Sugar | 9,164,573 | 10,488,085 |
| Glass and manufactures | 1,078,648 | 1,108,117 |
| Eggs | 1,017,119 | 764,966 |
| Cottons and yarn | 992,244 | 1,476,385 |
| Woollens and yarn | 1,312,671 | 1,984,475 |
| Iron and steel and manufactures | 1,012,376 | 379,479 |
| Machinery | 411,178 | 735,536 |
| Paper | 523,544 | 528,946 |
| Musical instruments | 660,777 | 676,391 |
| Toys | 644,690 | 714,628 |
| Zinc and manufactures | 461,023 | 673,602 |
| Wood and manufactures | 1,470,839 | 1,109,584 |
| Chemicals | 513,200 | 735,830 |
| Principal Articles exported by Great Britain to Germany. | 1900. | 1905. |
| £ | £ | |
| Cottons and yarn | 3,843,917 | 4,941,917 |
| Woollens and yarn | 3,743,842 | 3,795,591 |
| Alpaca, &c., yarn | 1,022,259 | 1,325,519 |
| Wool | 742,632 | 1,691,035 |
| Ironwork | 2,937,055 | 1,500,414 |
| Herrings | 1,651,441 | 2,042,483 |
| Machinery | 2,040,797 | 2,102,835 |
| Coals, cinders | 4,267,172 | 3,406,535 |
| New ships | 1,592,865 | 1,377,081 |
Navigation.—The seamen of Frisia are among the best in the world, and the shipping of Bremen and Hamburg had won a respected name long before a German mercantile marine, properly so called, was heard of. Many Hamburg vessels sailed under charter of English and other houses in foreign, especially Chinese, waters. Since 1868 all German ships have carried a common flag—black, white, red; but formerly Oldenburg, Hanover, Bremen, Hamburg, Lübeck, Mecklenburg and Prussia had each its own flag, and Schleswig-Holstein vessels sailed under the Danish flag. The German mercantile fleet occupies, in respect of the number of vessels, the fourth place—after Great Britain, the United States of America and Norway; but in respect of tonnage it stands third—after Great Britain and the United States only.