COMMERCE. Trade relations with foreign coun tries have grown rapidly since law and order were restored throughout most of the islands about the beginning of 1900, as the following table, giving the value of exports and imports, shows: The large increase in the trade between the Philippines and the United States is shown by the following table: The trade in 1901 with the other countries that are most important in Philippine commerce is indicated in this table: The exports consist very largely of agricultural products. Manila hemp and sugar. the leading staples of the islands, are the principal factors in the trade, their combined value usually amounting to more than 75 per vent. of the total export valuation. In 1900 the value of the prin cipal exports was: Manila hemp, $13,290,400; sugar, $2,397,144 (smaller than usual) : copra and cocoanuts, $3,184,853 (unusually large) : cigars and cigarettes, $1.164.369: leaf tobacco, $1,033.900; hides and skins, $311.183. The ex ports were classified as: Products of agriculture, 87 per cent.; manufacture:, 7 per cent.; miscel laneous, 6 per cent.
The imports are chiefly manufactured articles, cotton goods usually forming one-third to nearly one-half of the total, and foodstuffs. Rice is
the most important of the agricultural imports. The value of the chief imports in 1900 was: Cotton manufactures, $8,727.777: rice, $4.3P5, 056: iron and steel article's, $1,425,233; wheat flour, $475,236: malt liquors and eider, $1.113, 6S4; mineral oils. $374,717; silk manufactures, $385.984; glass and glassware, $395.620.
Manila hemp is almost the only article im ported into the United States, the value of the fibre brought to this country in 1902 amounting to $6,318,470.
Great Britain lead: in the foreign trade with the Philippines. chiefly on account of its large purchases of Manila hemp and its surpassing sales of cotton cloth. The United State, supplies more foodstuffs, excepting rice. which comes from Cochin-China, than any other country: and its sale: of iron manufactures to the islaml: in 1902 amounted to $9.57,342. In the saine year the imported foodstuffs amounted to over $14,000. 000, or about two-fifths of the total imports.