1900 4,512,342 22,697,014 30,920,082 + 8,223,068 1901 4,625,150 22,791,949 33,543,220 + 10,751,271 1902 4,741,780 20,607,851 35,897,345 + 15,289,494 1903 4,860,324 26,241,320 44,196,905 + 17,955,585 1904 4,981,832 37,461,194 52,831,505 + 15,370,311 1905 5,214,974 41,030,884 64,568,768 + 23,537,884 1906 5,377,639 53,994,104 58,450,766 + 4,456,662 1907 5,546,106 57,172,136 59,240,874 + 2,068,738 1908 5,712,489 54,594,547 73,201,068 + 18,706,521 -------------- -------------- ---------------- TOTALS £887,142,003 £964,278,951 + £77,136,940 ============== ============== ================ For the explanation of these data, we must remember that during the last twelve years the population has increased only by about one million inhabitants, and that in consequence the power of consumption of the Argentine could only become modified to a certain extent. If we except certain periods of exceptional importations, referring, for instance, to the entry in bulk of large amounts of raw material for the construction of new railways, we see that the imports, as compared to the bulk of the population, represent from £5, 5s. to £7, 18s. 7d. per head, while the same figure for exports is £7, 10s. 7d. to £10, 12s. 0d., according to the condition of agriculture. If we now examine the recent results of foreign trade, we find the situation summed up by the following figures for 1908, as compared with 1907, 1906, and 1905:—— 1908 1907 1906 1905 Exports £73,201,068 £59,240,874 £58,450,766 £64,568,768 Imports 54,594,547 57,172,136 53,994,104 41,030,884 ------------ ----------- ----------- ------------- Excess of Exports £18,606,521 £2,068,738 £4,456,662 £23,537,884 ============ =========== =========== ============= The commercial balance in 1908 was thus £18,606,521 in favour of the exports, as against £2,068,738 in 1907, £4,456,662 in 1906, which latter sum was £19,081,222 less than in 1905. There is every reason to believe that the exports for 1909 will prove to have been fully as large as the year before, for the recovery of the wool market and the enormous maize harvest will have compensated certain deficits in the matter of corn and cattle, which suffered in the preceding year from frost or drought. As for the harvest of the current year, it is wiser not to say too much at present, as the lack of rain has deranged the sowing season.