[32 REPORT ON COOPERATION IN AMERICAN EXPORT TRADE,

The following table indicates how the 10 most important articles
of Italian import and export rank according to value:
TABLE 12.—Principal imports and exports of Italy, 1918.2

Articles.

Minerals, metals, ete....... |
Broads, 00. co oiig meme
Stones, glass, 6tCoveennnnnn..
SOHEOR, op vos wane. ww smmame
Mle ccs cus i
Wool, hair, etc. ............
Animals and animal prod-Ck...
 o.oo caaall
Wood and straw... .... ..
SKINS. «eter cee rrananas
“hemieal products.... ”
All other

Total......

Imports.

Value. | Per cent.

Willion lire.
578.0
568.9
175.6
389.4
222.6
202.4

15.9
15.6
13.0
10.7
6.1
5.6

189.9
172.5
151.8
147.2
547 2

5.2
"

0

Avticla.

Jereals and vegetable products’
5517 SS,
Animals and animal products
Spirits, beverages, and oils..
Hemp, flax, jute, etc. . ......
Stones, glass, 4C.u.ne.eo ua...
Minerals, metals, and their
products. . earn
“hemical products... ..
All other.

Tata

Exports.

Value. | Per cent.

Lillinn lire.
530.0
473.3
256.4
246.4
161.2
109.2
108.7

21.1
18.8
10.2
9.8
8.4
4.3
4.3

105.8
85.8
78.4
356.4

4,1
3.4
3.1
14.5
100.0

511.6

t Movimento Commerciale del Regno d'Italia, 1913. Vol. I. p. xx%v.

Of the eight leading nations of southern and central Europe, for
the period 1904-1913, inclusive, Italy shows the greatest rate of in-:rease
 in imports; the increase of 1913 over 1904 being 94 per cent,
against 89 for France, 81 for Belgium, and 68 for Germany. In
exports the increase in the same period was 60 per cent, placing
Italy fourth in rate of increase, after Germany 93 per cent, Great
Britain 75, Belgium 70.1
Drawbacks.—For the encouragement of industry, the Italian law
provides for drawbacks on the temporary importation of goods, raw
or semifinished, which are to be transformed or altered and then
reexported, and also for the exportation of goods which are to be
similarly treated in foreign countries and reimported.? In 1913 such
temporary imports amounted in value to 95,083,019 lire, and the
value "of the reexportations to 159,087,378. The greater part of
the temporary .imports were raw materials, valued at 78,081,864
lire, the most important being wheat, iron and steel, and sugar. Of
the semifinished importations, valued at 22,001,155 lire, the chief
were certain forms of silk, straw, etc. The temporary exports were
semifinished products, chiefly silk, valued at 20.929.968 lire. and
:ereals valued at 24,306 lire’
Subventions.—The Italian Government promotes industry and
commerce by bounties and subsidies for expositions, agricultural purposes,
 olive raising, maintaining an office of commercial information,
chambers of commerce, etc. In 1913, for example, 16,500 lire were
provided for a bureau of commercial information, 15.000 lire for

t Movimento Commerciale del Regno d'Italia, 1918, Vol.
! Leggi e Regolamenti sulle Importazioni ed Esportazioni
'* Movimento Commerciale 1913, Vol. I. pp. ccxxx—cexxxil

I, p. xxxiii,
Temporanee, pp. 7. 55. 56.