116 REPORT ON COOPERATION IN AMERICAN EXPORT TRADE.

The general nature of French trade is indicated by the foregoing
 statement. In 1918 imports of raw materials were valued at
1,946,000,000 francs ($989,000,000), foodstuffs at 1,818,000,000 francs
($364,000,000), and manufactured articles at 1,658,000,000 francs
'$332,000,000) ; exports of manufactured articles in that year were
valued at 4,183,000,000 francs ($837,000,000), raw materials at 1,851,-000,000
 francs ($370,000,000), and foodstuffs at 839,000,000 francs
($168,000,000).
Promotion of trade by the Government.—Promotion of trade b)
the Government is a definite tenet of French policy. It is applied tc
commercial treaties, tariff provisions, maintenance of commercial
museums, participation in subventions to chambers of commerce, expositions,
 maintenance of national commercial institutions, -encour-1gement
 to trade associations, ete.
Tarirr pPrOVISIONS.—The French Government by means of its
tariff takes a protective attitude toward its industries, such as agriculture,
 metallurgy, spinning and weaving, sugar manufacture, ete.*
In 1910 the French tariff law was revised, in general the duties being
increased. The maximum or general tariff rates were increased with
a view to inducing countries which had no commercial conventions
with France to seek such conventions in order to have the advantages
of minimum duties.
By means of bounties, subventions, and drawbacks the Government
stimulates French industry to no inconsiderable degree. In 1912, for
example, it distributed more than 2,000,000 francs in bounties for
sericulture, the growing of flax and hemp, and olives; more than
2,449,000 francs were paid in bounties to silk spinners.
Moreover, in certain cases raw materials which ordinarily are subject
 to duty are admitted free, provided they are to be transformed
and reexported. In 1912 temporary admission was given to 17
Jifferent classes of articles, the total value of which was 182,600,000
francs, as the result of which 18 different classes of articles were reexported,
 valued at 259,000,000 francs ($52,000,000). The chief imports
 and reexports of this nature were as follows:

—_— = J RE Sp —
LG. Schelle, Le Bilan du Protectionnisme en France, 1912, p., 31.
* The London Economist (London), Apr. 2, 1910, p. 725.
d Tableau Général du Commerce et Navigation, 1912, ». 80,