Show JAPANS TRADE the of japan ese foreign commerce com during the first six months of this year especially of imports from foreign countries is shown in tho juno monthly deturi of the foreign trade of tho empire oc japan a copy ot which official publication li has just reached aho department of commerce and labor through its bureau of statistics As compared with the six months figures tor the previous year the imports aboy the remarkable increase ot per cent from to while exports tor the same period show a relatively insignificant growth ot less than 4 per cent from to it Is of interest to note that while the largest increases in imports are credited to the united states the united kingdom and british india the largest increase in exports occur under the head of china united states and korea thus imports from the united states for the first six months of the year 1905 were as against during the same period of imports from the united kingdom were as against imports from british india were as against while imports from germany aro staled as tor the first six months of this year as against for the same period of the year 1904 As regards imports from other countries they have increased at a much lower rate or else show decreases the exports during the same periods were largest for china which Is credited with as compared with during the first six months of 1901 the united states ranks next among tile countries to which japanese products are destined the figures for the first six months of 1905 being as against 19 for tho previous year in the third now stands korea with 5 as against for the same period of 1904 the exports to the other countries are relatively small and moreover show decreases thus exports to france one of japans largest consumers of silk have fallen from during the first six months of 1904 to during the first six months of 1905 tho exports to tho united kingdom have likewise decreased from to while exports to germany have fallen from in 1904 to 1 in 1905 tho loading position ot united states in japanese foreign commerce Is seen from tho fact that this country furnished per cent of the total imports during the first six months of 1905 as compared with per cent of the total imports during the same period of 1904 and is credited with per cent of the total domestic exports dureg the first halt year in 1805 as compared with per cent of the total domestic exports of japan for the first six months n 1 gains in imports affect not only such articles increased consumption of which was to be expected because of the war such as flour beans and peas woolens and worsteds worst eds cotton manufactures blankets sole leather etc but other articles as well increased importations of which are the best sign of industrial growth and expansion among the latter the most notable increases are shown by raw cotton the imports of kiich have almost doubled n value by manufactures of iron and steel machinery etc the only articles of importance the imports of which show decreases during the first six months of 1905 as compared with the same period in 1904 are coal sugar and kerosene oil the decrease eare in the importation ot augar Is most striking and Is probably dua chiefly to the higher import duties on sugar imposed last year tia results are seen in extraordinarily dina rily keavy importations during the year the largest two items of importation appear to be raw cotton about one third of which is credited to the united and rice the importations of which assumed large proportions for the first lime in 1903 and continue to lead all other items with the exception of cotton about 38 per cent of the total importe of during the first half of the present year Is represented by the imports of two items just named |