188
THE BRITISH EMPIRE: — CAPE OF GOOD HOPE
and annually producing articles worth 9,238,870^ Among these establish- ments were flour mills, breweries, tobacco factories, tanneries, and diamond, gold, copper, and coal mines.
Commerce.
Of the total imports in 1897, the value of 4,569, OOOZ. (gross (including 65,911/., specie) was duty-free, while the value of 13,429,000Z.^(gross) was subject to duty. The customs duties amounted to 2,189, 580Z. or slightly over 16 per cent, of the imports subject to duty.
The values ^ of the total imports and exports, including specie, of Cape Colony and dependencies, in the last five years were as follows : —
Year
Imports
Imported Merchandise
Exports
Exports of Colonial Produce
1893
1894 1895 1896 1897
£
11,539,987 11,588,096 19,094,880 18,771,371 17,997,789
£ 10,760,556 10,887,787 13,285,005 16,942,865 16,490,739
£ 13,156,589 13,812,062 16,904,756 16,970,168 21,660,210
£ 12,765,770 13,503,044 16,577,157 16,700,102 19,176,061
1 All import values are determined from importers' declarations, checked by invoices and bills of charges and by examination of the goods, if necessary. They represent current values at the places of export, including packing and transport charges to the ports of ship- ment, plus 5 per cent. Export values are determined from exporters' declarations on their bills of entry, subject to such check as may be necessary. Theyrepresent the market values at the ports of shipment, including charges for packing. Quantities both of imports and exports are ascertained from bills of entry, subject to such checks as comparison with invoices, (fee, and examination of the goods. The origin of imports and destination of exports are shown by the bills of lading, and are respectively the country where the goods were placed on board ship for export to the colony, and the country to which shipment is made. There is no distinction between general, special, and transit trade. All goods entered inwards at the customs are treated as imports into the colony, and all goods shipped from any port in the colony to any country are treated as exports to that country.
The South Africa Customs Union comprises Cape Colony, the Orange Free State, the Bechuanaland, and Basutoland Protectorates, and (under the Convention of September, 1898), the Colony of Natal.
The following table shows the value of the leading exports of Colonial produce in the last five years according to the official Cape Returns : —
—
1893
1894 £
1895
1896
1897
£
£
£
£
Wool .
1,855,076
1,599,632
1,695,920
1,874,555
1,496,779
Ostrich feathers
461,552
477,414
527,742
519,539
605,058
Hides (ox and
cow) & skins
(sheep & goat)
497,109
419,211
475,398
396,216
514,167
Copper ore
202,316
284,800
246,597
218,422
300,772
Hair (Angora) .
527,619
421,248
710,867
572,230
676,644
Wine
18,964
18,908
20,289
21,412
17,715
Grain and meal
7,313
6,154
6,565
11,244
13,027
Diamonds
3,821,443
3,013,578
4,775,016
4,646,487
4,454,376
Gold (raw) .
5,259,120
7,147,308
7,975,637
8,252,543
10,991,926
The total value (partly estimated^ of diamonds exported from 1867 to 1897 was 83,311,087/. The gold given among exports is really iniported from the Transvaal, though not included among imports.
