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External Trade Statistics in the Netherlands, 1700-1830

Lille-I, March 11th-March 12th 2011

Werner Scheltjens, University of Groningen

w.f.y.scheltjens@rug.nl

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Introduction› Three types of data are commonly used to

describe the economic history of the Dutch Republic:

� 1) Statistieken van in- en uitvoer (trade statistics)

� 2) Convooien en Licenten (convoy duties)

� 3) Scheepsbewegingen (ship movements)

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Introduction› The first type is the least available one, but these are in

fact the only available ‘real’ trade statistics.

› The second covers longer periods of time, but has strong limitations regarding its use and reliability.

› The third type is abundantly available but again has strong limitations regarding its use and reliability. Regardless of its limitations, this is the type of statistical data that is used most frequently.

› In the following, I will limit the focus to the ‘real’external trade statistics.

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Content of this presentation› Chronological overview of Dutch external trade

statistics

› Review limited to published sources

› Earliest records: 1753

› Time-series only for the periods 1784-1793 and 1803-1809

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Content of this presentation - titles

� Dobbelaar P.J., ‘Een statistiek van den in- en uitvoer van Rotterdam c.a. in 1753’ // Economisch-Historisch Jaarboek, 1921, vol. 7, 210-230.

� Nanninga, Bronnen tot de geschiedenis van den Levantschen handel III 1727-1765, 1952, Hoofdstuk XII: De in- en uitvoer van Amsterdam in 1753, 650-701.

� Posthumus N.W., ‘Statistiek van den in- en uitvoer van Amsterdam in het jaar 1774’ // Bijdragen en Mededelingen van het Historisch Genootschap, 1913.

� Van Nierop L., ‘Uit de bakermat der Amsterdamsche handelsstatistiek’ // Jaarboek van het genootschap Amstelodamum, 1915, XIII, 105-172. [digitized]

� Van Nierop L., ‘Uit de bakermat der Amsterdamsche handelsstatistiek’ // Jaarboek van het genootschap Amstelodamum, 1917, XV, 35-110.

� De Vries, Joh. (ed.), ‘De Statistiek van in- en uitvoer van de Admiraliteit op de Maaze, 1784-1793’ // Economisch-Historisch Jaarboek, 1961/62, 29, 188-259; 1963/64, 30, 236-307.

� D’Alphonse F.J.B., ‘Eenige hoofdstukken uit het Aperçu sur la Hollande’ // Bijdrage tot de Statistiek van Nederland. Nieuwe Volgreeks no. 1, 1900, Chapitre VI: Commerce, Importations et Exportations (1803-1809), 384-401.

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Dobbelaar (1920) – 1753 – slide 1

Statistics of imports and exports via the towns that fall under the jurisdiction of the Admiralty of the Maas in 1753. These towns are: Rotterdam, Dordrecht, Schiedam at the sea side, and Nijmegen, Den Bosch and Lillo at the land side.

Contains a breakdown of goods, the quantities that entered and left the ports of the Admiralty of the Maas and their respective values

Does not contain information about the origin or destination of goods

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Dobbelaar (1920) – 1753 – slide 2

The breakdown of individual goods does not contain information about origin and destination, the 'balance sheet' does, but in a very rough way.

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Nanninga (1952) – 1753 – slide 1

Statistics of imports and exports via the towns that fall under the jurisdiction of the Admiralty of Amsterdam in 1753 (Amsterdam and other offices or buiten-comptoiren).

Contains a breakdown of goods and the quantities or values that entered and left the ports under jurisdiction of the Admiralty of Amsterdam.

Does also contain information about the origin or destination of goods

Contains a 'totals' column per product. Totals are separately specified for Amsterdam and other offices of the Admiralty.

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Nanninga (1952) – 1753 – slide 1

Indications of origin and destination are categorized as follows:

Portugal

Spanje

Frankryk

Engeland, Schotland en Ierland

Duytschland en Rhynvaart

Middelandsche Zee, Levant, en Barbaryen

Hamburg, Breemen, en Kleine Oost

Denemarken, Noorweegen, Zweeden en Oost Zee

Moscovie

Brabant, Vlaanderen, enz.

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Posthumus (1913) - 1774

Products and their quantities imported and exported from the port of Amsterdam in 1774, as registered by the Office of Convoy duties (Comptoir van Convooien en Licenten).

No directions or origins.

No values.

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Van Nierop (1915&1917) – 1753, 1789-1793 and 1796-1799

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Van Nierop (1915&1917) – 1753, 1789-1793 and 1796-1799

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Van Nierop (1915&1917) – 1753, 1789-1793 and 1796-1799

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De Vries (1961-64) – 1784-1793

› No visu

› Same structure as Van Nierop, but for data collected at the Admiralty of the Maas for the years 1784-1793.

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d'Alphonse (1900) – 1803-1809

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d'Alphonse (1900) – 1803-1809

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d'Alphonse (1900) – 1803-1809

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Availability of data sets› Some of the sources presented

above are readily available in MDB or DBF format.

� editor: G.M. Welling

� downloadable at: www.let.rug.nl/~welling/paalgeld/appendix.html

� note: The names that Welling gave to these databases are somewhat confusing. Rather than covering 'The Netherlands', they cover Amsterdam.

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Availability of data setsPosthumus (1913) – 1774 Amsterdam

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Availability of data setsVan Nierop (1917) – 1753, 1789-1793, 1796-1799 Amsterdam

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Availability of data setsVan Nierop (1915) – 1753, 1789-1793 Amsterdam

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Availability of data setsd'Alphonse (1900) – 1803-1809 Amsterdam

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Concluding remarks› No 'national' external trade statistics exists

› Only Amsterdam & Rotterdam c.a. are available

› Some of the sources presented above are readily available in MDB or DBF format.