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History of the world economy - Polyak GB

22.4. Trade

Domestic trade. Forms of its organization

Domestic trade in the first half of the XIX century. Developed slowly. The folding of the market was hindered by the low marketability of the peasant economy (even in the middle of the 19th century the share of peasant grain entering the market did not exceed 10%); The slow formation of the trading class (in the middle of the century, merchants accounted for only about 1% of the population, at the end of the century - 3.8%); National psychology (prudence, thrift and the ability to make a profit on trading operations were not considered a great virtue). It is also necessary to take into account the vast expanses of the empire, the poor condition of roads, and often their complete absence. Nevertheless, the growth of the domestic market, although slow and predominantly extensive, took place, and already in the middle of the 19th century. Domestic trade is becoming more important for Russia than external trade: domestic trade turnover exceeded the turnover of foreign trade by more than three times.

In the first half of the century, domestic trade was carried out mainly in the form of fairs, which were available in every major economic region of the country. Most fairs (about 4 thousand) were small; The turnover of 60 large fairs exceeded millions of rubles. The largest was the Nizhny Novgorod Fair, whose turnover was over 100 million rubles. in year. Fair trade, characteristic of the feudal mode of production, had significant shortcomings: frequent damage to goods due to the inability to ensure proper storage, loss of time for the seller and buyer, sharp fluctuations in prices for the same goods at different fairs.

During the XIX century. There was a development of another, more progressive form of trade - shop. The value of fair trade declined, there was a transfer of fairs to the outlying areas of the country. However, the absolute number of fairs steadily increased and in the middle of the century was 6 thousand, and in the end - 18 thousand.

Quite intensively - by Russian standards - exchanges were developing , the number of which by the beginning of the 20th century. Reached 90. The management of exchanges was concentrated in the Ministry of Trade and Industry, with the exception of the stock department of the St. Petersburg Stock Exchange - it was under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Finance.

This indicated that the state of the domestic market was changing, albeit slowly. In the middle of the century, in a quantitative respect, natural relations continued to dominate in the country. Trade relations between parts of the country were still not strong enough, which was manifested primarily in significant fluctuations in grain prices in various regions of the empire: the difference in the prices of bread at the places of its production and consumption was enormous and could be 10 or more times. In the first half of the century, landlords mainly oriented themselves on the market, in the post-reform period - farmers.

International trade. Trade Policy

In the field of foreign trade, state policy in the XIX century. Characterized by an alternate change of protectionism and free trade. The change of course took place every five to ten years. In general, in the middle of the century, they proceeded mainly from the principles of free trade, and at the beginning and end of the century - protectionism. The predominance of the protectionism policy was due not so much to the desire to protect, to patronize the domestic producer, as to considerations of a fiscal nature: setting high import tariffs, the government wanted to increase the profitability of the treasury.

Accordingly, the official exchange rate was changed, thus, import duties - from 15 to 200% or more.

Traditionally England was the leading partner in the scale of trade with Russia. In the first half of the XIX century. In the structure of Russian exports and imports, it accounted for 37 and 30% respectively. Trade relations between Russia and England were not interrupted even during the Crimean War (1853 - 1856). Having declared a strict blockade to Russian goods, England needed them, nevertheless they imported them on German ships. On the second place in terms of trade with Russia was Germany, the third - France, the fourth place was occupied by China.

Building of the city exchange in Nizhny Novgorod

The import of Russia was as follows. In the first half of the XIX century. The country actively imported dyes, sugar, wine. The most important article of import was raw cotton and tea (from China). From China, pearls, silk and cotton fabrics were transported; From the middle of the century, however, the fabrics were not imported. In general, raw materials and a variety of consumer goods, including luxury goods, were transported to Russia from the East. From the West, also carried by consumer goods and, in addition, machinery and equipment - throughout the XIX century, this article of import all the time increased.

Russian exports were oriented almost exclusively to Western countries and accounted for 90% of the total exports. The share of Russian exports to the East was much more modest - about 10%; Carried raw materials and industrial products, the cost of which gave 60% of the total value of exports.

The ship forest, ropes, sails, flax, lard, leather, hemp, bristles, furs, livestock products, bread went to the West. The volume of grain exports increased with every decade: if at the beginning of the century bread accounted for 5% of the value of all exports, then in the middle of the century it was 35%, and at the end of the century 80%. At the beginning of the century, Russia exported 1% of the harvested crop, in the middle of the century - 5%, at the end - 20%.

Competitors of Russia on the world grain market in the late XIX century. There were the USA, Australia and Canada, but they could not seriously press Russia. Russia's relations with Germany were much more negative. Since the 80-ies of the XIX century. The Germans began to defend themselves against Russian bread, increasing import duties: from 1880 to 1890. They increased fivefold. In response, Russia introduced almost prohibitive duties on imported industrial goods from Germany. In the first half of the 1990s, the customs war between these countries becomes particularly tense.

As a whole, in the structure of Russian exports, the share of agricultural products and industrial raw materials was 95% of the value of all Russian exports, and finished goods - about 5%. The degree of Russia's participation in world trade throughout the XIX century. Remained practically unchanged: the country provided 4% of the world commodity turnover.