142 THE BRITISH EMPIRE: — INDIA AND DEPENDENCIES
Years ended
Imports
March 31
Merchandise
Rupees
129,89,50,942 121,20,57,265 117,00,04,295 129,85,40,168 138,57,48,833
Treasure
Total
1908 1909 1910 1911 1912
Rupees
32,82,04,292 22,03,18,531 37,42,00,735 39,70,47,923 53,42,20,933
Rupees
102,71,55,284 143,89,75,796 ' 154,48,05,030 169,05,88,096 191,99,09,706
Years ended
Exports and Re-Exports
March 31
Merchandise
Treasure Total
1908 1909 1910 1911 1912
Rs.
177,35,80,259 153,02,79,942 187,88,50,449 209,88,20,189
227,75,73,540
Rs. Rs.
5,44,02,281 182,80,42,540 5,95,00,736 158,98,46,678 6,39,33,303 194,27,83,752 7,11,79,909 , 217,00,00,098 10,30,16,193 1 238,11,89,739
Of the exports of merchandise in 1911-12 Rs. 221,73,10,933 represented the products of the country. Rs. 0,02,62,613 wei'e re-exports of foreign imports.
The returns of quantities and values of imports and of exports are based on the bills of entry and shipping bills respectively, but thcdeclarations contained-in these documents are subject to scrutiny in all cases, and penalties may be inflicted where they are found to be false. The value is the wholesale value at the place of import or export, less trade dis- count, duty not being included in the value of dutiable goods. Up to the year eiuled March, 1911, the published returns showed, not the prime origin of imports and ultimate destination of exports, but only the countries whence the goods were shipped to India and to which they are shipped from India, as disclosed by the shipping docu- ments. But beginning with thr; official year 1911-12, imports have been classified with reference to the countries whence they are consigned to India, and exjiorts credited to the country of final destination as declared by the exporters in the sliipping biHs, whether that country possesses a seaboard or not. A retrosi>ective record from the year 1907-08 was also specially constituted under the stated system of registration, and tlie figures given in this article for the year 1907-08 and succeeding years relate to countries of consignment and countries of final destination. No distinction is maintained between general, special, and transit trade ; but goods of foreign origin, when re-exported, are shown in detail separately from those of Indian origin. Apart from the comparatively insignificant imports and exports by parcel post, of which only the total values are known, there are no special circumstances which affect the value of the statistical results.
The gross amount of import duty collected in 1911-12 was Rs. 9,14,23,251 and export duty Rs. 1,30,23,202. The largest import duty is derived from cotton goods, Rs. 1,50,16,401 and from salt, Rs. 1,41,37,555 in 1911-12 ; the export duty is entirely on rice.
The imports and exports, excluding Government stores and Govern- ment treasure, were distributed as follows in five years : —
Years ended
Eastern
Bengal
Bengal
Burma
Madras
March 31
and Assam Rs.
' Rsr^^
Rs.
Imports:—
Rs.
1908
60,09,58,196
53,50,633
11, 34,11, .503
11,13,79,883
1909
47,81,10,471
61,83,994
13,19,10,847
12,23.53,464
1910
52,06,74,180
00,03,200
11,02,41,278
10,76,34,005
1911
53,60,07,084
50,20,940
10,93,13,554
11,35,58,637
""■" 1912
60,38,75,947
66,40,778
12,24,08,775
12,11,53,338
Exports:—
1908
70,48,50,291
3,79,47,022
17,78,88,144
19,22.47,990
1909
60,80,66,633
4,73,07,704
12,97,25.954
18,07,26,036
1910
70,48,84,931
4,34,43,755
16,07,87,305
20,27,08,043
1911
78,70,84,194
4,49,83,869
20,86,92,724
21,70,H3,867
1912
86,30,27,628
5,34.21,583
25,43.09,599
23,52.88,715
Bombay
Sind
Rs. i Rs.
68,20,48,31311,40,00,700 58,14,20,591 11,90,46,429 69,23,14,075 10,79,98,280 79.96,41.605 12,04,40,270 92,37,43,72014,21,47,033
53,20,94,155118,24,08,938 47,03,21,7011 8,07,97,990 00,09,30,282 22,40,23,370 68,58,99,903 22,50,58,481 72.55.59,13124,95,83,083
Imports and exports of bullion and specie were as follows
