S SWITZERLAND'S TRADE WITH GREAT BRITAIN. Switzerland's leading imports from Great Britain during the period from 1913 to 1917 were cotton and woolen goods, iron, copper, and chemicals. The imports of these articles from Great Britain tended to increase both in quantity and in value during the war years. In 1913 Switzerland imported from Great Britain 8,600 tons of cotton goods (not including cotton clothing), valued at 49,000,000 francs. In 1914 the quantity imported fell to less than 5,000 tons. But during the next three years the imports of cotton from Great Britain averaged more than 9,000 tons. The high-water mark was reached in 1917, when the British supplied the Swiss with 9,800 tons of cotton manufactures, valued at 96,000,000 francs. Imports of wool (woolen cloth, for the most part), from Great Britain amounted to 1,100 tons in 1916 and 2,000 tons in 1917, as, compared with 750 tons in 1913. The value of these imports rose from less than 8,000,000 francs in 1913 to more than 32,000,000 francs in 1917, a fourfold increase. Imports of iron and iron manufactures rose from 30,000 tons in 1913 to 50,000 in 1917, and the value of these imports from 11,000,000 francs to 37,000,000 francs. Imports of copper from Great Britain rose from 81 tons in 1913 to 14,000 tons in 1917, valued at 55,000,000 francs. Imports of chemicals amounted in 1916 to 9,000 tons, valued at 19,000,000 francs, and in 1917 to 8,000 tons, valued at 15,000,000 francs, as against 1,700 tons in 1913, valued at less than 2,000,000 francs. The leading exports from Switzerland to Great Britain during the period 1913-1917 were foodstuffs (particularly chocolate and condensed milk), cotton manufactures (mainly embroidery), silk manufactures, clocks and watches, and chemicals, particularly aniline dyes. In 1913 Great Britain received from Switzerland 4,500 tons of chocolate, valued at 17,000,000 francs. In 1914 the quantity received was somewhat larger, and in 1915 rose to 9,000 tons, valued at 32,000,000 francs. In 1916 the quantity declined to 7,100 tons and in 1917 to 1,800 tons. The quantity of condensed milk exported by Switzerland to Great Britain declined gradually from 19,000 tons in 1913 to 11,000 tons in 1916, and then fell abruptly to 600 tons in 1917. Of cotton manufactures Switzerland sold to Great Britain 2,300 tons in 1913, the greater part of which consisted of embroidery. In 1914 the quantity decreased slightly, but rose in 1915 to 3,200 and in 1916 to 2,800 tons. In 1917 it declined abruptly to 1,500 tons. This decline was a serious matter to the Swiss embroidery manufacturers, coming at the time when the Allies were severely limiting Swiss exports of cotton manufactures to the Central Powers. In value the Swiss exports of cotton goods to England were extremely important, reaching the high figure of 76,000,000 francs in 1916. In 1917 the much smaller quantity exported was valued at 52,000,000 francs. In 1918 exports of these goods to Great Britain continued, the value of feather-stitched embroidery alone thus exported reach ing 31,000,000 francs in the first half of the year, as against 40,000,000 francs for that item for the whole year 1917. Exports of silk goods to Great Britain amounted to 1,800 tons in 1913 and averaged more than 1,900 tons during the three years 19141916, but fell to less than 800 tons in 1917. In value this was the most important item exported to Great Britain, amounting to 74,000,000 francs in 1913, 82,000,000 in 1914, 114,000,000 in 1915, 102,000,000 in 1916, and 61,000,000 francs in 1917. The importance of this one item will be appreciated if it is pointed out that in 1915 the value of the silk exported from Switzerland to Great Britain amounted to nearly one-third of the total value of exports to that country, in 1916 to about one-fourth, and in 1917 to about one-sixth. Exports of clocks and watches to Great Britain during the war, except in 1915, were smaller in both quantity and value than in 1913. The value of these exports in 1913 was 32,000,000 francs, and in 1917, 26,000,000 francs. Exports of aniline dyes increased both in quantity and value. The value of these exports to Great Britain rose from 3,000,000 francs in 1913 to 35,000,000 francs in 1917. During the first half of 1918 they amounted to 18,000,000 francs. During the war certain large dye manufacturing concerns in Switzerland made agreements to deliver their finished product to Great Britain in compensation for raw materials supplied by that country. |