From foreign countries the decline in the export of cheese is mainly in the case of the United States, which shipped to British ports 10,000 tons less in 1900 than in 1891. France also is losing its cheese trade in British markets, and is being supplanted by Belgium. In 1891 France supplied over 3000 tons, in 1900 the import was below 2000 tons. Belgium in 1891 supplied less than 1000 tons, but in 1900 contributed 2600 tons. The import trade in Dutch cheese remains almost stationary. In 1891 it amounted to 15,300 tons, in 1899 it was 15,600 tons, whilst in 1900, owing to exceptionally high prices, which stimulated the manufacture, it reached 17,000 tons.
TABLE XV.--_Annual Imports of Cheese into the United Kingdom, 1897-1900._
+----------------+----------+----------+----------+----------+ | From | 1897. | 1898. | 1899. | 1900. | +----------------+----------+----------+----------+----------+ | | Cwt. | Cwt. | Cwt. | Cwt. | | Canada |1,526,664 |1,432,181 |1,337,198 |1,511,872 | | United States | 631,616 | 485,995 | 590,737 | 680,583 | | Holland | 297,604 | 292,925 | 328,541 | 327,817 | | Australasia | 68,615 | 44,608 | 32,294 | 86,513 | | France | 36,358 | 33,086 | 34,307 | 35,110 | | Other countries| 42,321 | 50,657 | 60,992 | 69,910 | | +----------+----------+----------+----------+ | Total |2,603,178 |2,339,452 |2,384,069 |2,711,805 | | +----------+----------+----------+----------+ | | % | % | % | % | | Canada | 58.6 | 61.2 | 56.1 | 55.8 | | United States | 24.3 | 20.8 | 24.8 | 25.1 | | Holland | 11.4 | 12.5 | 13.8 | 12.0 | | Australasia | 2.7 | 1.9 | 1.3 | 3.2 | | France | 1.4 | 1.4 | 1.4 | 1.3 | | Other countries| 1.6 | 2.2 | 2.6 | 2.6 | | +----------+----------+----------+----------+ | Total | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | +----------------+----------+----------+----------+----------+
Over 80% of the cheese imported into the United Kingdom is derived from North America, but the bulk of the trade belongs to Canada, which supplies nearly 60% of the entire import. The value of the cheese exported from Canada to the United Kingdom in the calendar year 1900 was close upon £3,800,000. As is shown in Table XV. below, Holland, Australasia and France participate in this trade, whilst amongst the "other countries" are Germany, Italy and Russia. The cheese sent from North America and Australasia is mostly of the substantial Cheddar type, whereas soft or "fancy" cheese is the dominant feature of the French shipments. Thus, in the calendar year 1900 the average price of the cheese imported into the United Kingdom from France was 61s. per cwt., whilst the average value of the cheese from all other sources was 50s. per cwt., there being a difference of 11s. in favour of the "soft" cheese of France.