1898 Bulletin of the Department of Agriculture shows the amount and character of US trade with Spain.

Our trade with Spain, although subject to minor fluctuations, appears to have been gradually shrinking for about fifteen years. It attained its maximum development in 1883, when the combined imports and exports reached the value of $24,725,632, or more than $10,000,000 in excess of the present figures. The returns for 1897, with the single exception of those for 1895, which fell to $14,501,195:, were the lowest recorded since 1878, 20 years ago. The average value per annum, for the last five years, 1883-1887, amounted to $16,240,588, as against $18,305,404 for the five years immediately preceeding.

In our commercial dealings with Spain, the balance of trade has been very decidedly in favor of the United States.

Of the commodities that enter into our commercial transactions with Syain about 75 per cent may be classed as products of agriculture. The preponderance of agricultural matter is particularly noticeable in our exportations to that country.

Among the products of agriculture that are imported into the United States from Spain, fruits and nuts comprise the most important item, constituting in value considerably more than half of the total agricultural purchases. After fruit and nuts the product of greatest value is wine. These two items, fruits and nuts and wine, form about 85 per cent of the imported agricultural matter. The only other agricultural imports of any considerable importance are, in the order of their value, argol, hides and skins, vegetables, and vegetable oils.

Raisins, oranges and lemons are the principal fruits imported from Spain. Figs, currants, and several other varieties are also imported, but in very small and irregular quantities. Raisins are still the leading item, although they were formerly brought from Spain in much larger quantities than now.

The total value of the several varieties of fruit imported from Spain, which amounted to $2,190,363 per annum during 1888-1892, fell to $1,289,194 per annum during 1893-1897.

The most important classes of merchandise included in our non-agricultural imports from Spain are: Cork wood or bark and its manufactures; chemicals; drugs and dyes; iron ore; lead and lead manufactures; palm leaf manufactures, and wood and its manufactures. The several commodities mentioned constitute in value about 70 per cent of the total imports of non-agricultural merchandise.

Cork in its crude and manufactured forms is the most valuable of these imports. Our purchases during the last five years have amounted to nearly $500,000 per annum.

Licorice root is another article of this group that is imported quite extensively from Spain. The imports for 1897, amounting to 2,222,982 pounds, valued at $60,515, were unusually small.

Iron ore is one of our leading non-agricultural imports from Spain. The quantity now imported, however, is much smaller than formerly, the last few years showing a marked falling off.

Products of agriculture comprise in value fully 85% of the domestic merchandise exported from the US to Spain. Cotton and tobacco are by far the most important items, forming over 90% of the produce sent to Spanish markets. The only other agricultural exports of any considerable importage are wheat, wheat flour, and corn among breadstuffs, lard and tallow among the meat products, and sausage skins.

Cotton is the mainstay of our export trade with Spain. Measured in value, it constitutes over 50 per cent of our agricultural exports to that country, and about 70 per cent of all the merchandise we market there. During the past twenty years the shipments have more than doubled in size, and much of this growth has occurred within a decade.

After cotton, our most important agricultural export to Spain is leaf tobacco. The annual shipments average about 20,000,000 pounds, and their value about a million dollars.

Our exports of breadstuffs to Spain vary greatly from year to year. The largest shipments of the decade were made in 1863, amounting in value to $1,941,206 while the smallest--those for 1895--were valued at only $4,432.

The shipments of wheat, which is the leading item in this group have been extremely spasmodic. In 1883 the aggregated as high as 2,443,105 bushels, while in 1895 there appears to have been no shipments whatever.

The only other American cereal marketed to any extent in Spain is Indian corn. The shipments of this grain, like those of wheat, have been subject to great fluctuations.

Of the various meat products shipped from the United States to Spain, lard is the only item of any considerable importance. Formerly this commodity was sent to the Spanish market in much larger quantities than now.

Of the various non-agricultural commodities shipped from the United States to Spain, the most conspicuous are wood and its manufactures, and crude mineral oil. The sum we receive for these two items constitute more than 85 per cent of the entire amount the Spanish pay for our non-agricultural exports. The only other items of any considerable importance among this class of exports are bituminous coal, the group of articles entitled chemicals, dyes and medicines, and merchandise included under iron and steel and their manufactures.

Iron and steel and their manufacturers were marketed in Spain to the extent of $26,261 per annum during 1888-1892, and $29,133 per annum during 1893-1897. In 1897, however, the shipments were much smaller than usual, only $15,724. Machinery is the leading item.

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