Statistics of the foreign commerce of the United States are compiled from statistical copies of Export Declarations and Import Entries sworn to by shippers, their brokers, or agents, and filed with the United States customs officials. The statistics show the trade between the United States (continental United States, Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and, since Jan. 1, 1935, the Virgin Islands) and foreign countries, but do not show the trade between continental United States and the noncontiguous territories named above. The Philippine Islands and the Panama Canal Zone are considered, for statistical purposes, as foreign countries.

Statistics are compiled separately for the trade of continental United States with Alaska, Hawaii. Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands, and are published in the Monthly Summary of Foreign Commerce. Statistics of trade of the Philippine Islands with foreign countries are published separately by the Philippine Government. Trade with the Panama Canal Zone is not shown separately but is included in the trade with the Republic of Panama.

Total exports of merchandise from the United States to foreign countries include exports of all commodities (except gold and silver in the form of ore, bullion, and coin) which are the growth, produce, and manufacture of the United States, and exports of foreign merchandise which have been previously imported into the United States.

Gold and silver exports and imports in bullion form, or contained in ores, scrap, sweepings, etc., or in coins, are not included in the merchandise total but are shown in separate tables. Manufactured articles of gold and silver, such as solid or plated ware, sheets, plates, wire, leaf, alloys, and other forms of gold and silver prepared for the use of dentists and jewelers, are considered as merchandise.

Exports of United States merchandise (domestic exports) include commodities which are the growth, produce, or manufacture of the United States, and commodities of foreign origin which have been changed from the form in which they were imported or which have been enhanced in value by further manufacture in the United States, such as sugar refined in this country from imported raw sugar, flour ground from imported wheat, and other commodities made from imported materials. Exports of foreign merchandise (reexports) include commodities of foreign origin which, at the time of exportation, are in the same condition as when they were imported into the United States.

General imports of merchandise include commodities entered immediately upon arrival into merchandising or consumption channels, plus commodities entered into bonded customs warehouses for storage.

Imports for consumption include commodities entered immediately upon arrival into merchandising or consumption channels plus commodities withdrawn for consumption from bonded warehouses. "Withdrawal for consumption" of merchandise from bonded warehouses may be made at any time within 3 years from the date of importation upon payment of duties and charges accruing thereon. The "general imports" and "imports for consumption" for any period differ to the extent that the "entries for bonded customs warehouses" for any period are more or less than "withdrawals for consumption" from warehouse.

Values shown in all tables are expressed in United States dollars unadjusted for the change in gold content in January 1934.

The value of exports of domestic or United States merchandise is the actual selling price or the value of the merchandise in the port of export at the time of exportation, as declared by the shipper on the export declaration. Values of cases, boxes, sacks, and coverings of any kind are included. If the merchandise is produced at an interior place, the freight charges from the interior point of shipment to the seaport or border point of exportation are included in the value, but freight and other charges from the port of departure in the United States to the destination in the foreign country are not included. The value of exports of foreign merchandise (reexports) which are withdrawn from bonded customs warehouses is their import value, and the basis of valuation for those commodities which are exported "not from bonded warehouses", comprising mainly merchandise which was imported free of duty, is the same as that for exports of domestic merchandise.

The value of imports of merchandise is stated on the import entry and consular invoice, in accordance with section 402 of the Tariff Act of 1930. Except as provided in the Tariff Act, such value is the "market value or the price, at the time of exportation of such merchandise to the United States, at which such or similar merchandise is freely offered for sale to all purchasers in the principal markets of the country from which exported, in the usual wholesale quantities and in the ordinary course of trade, including the cost of all containers and coverings of whatever nature, and all other costs, charges, and expenses incident to placing the merchandise in condition, packed ready for shipment to the United States." This foreign value is converted into United States currency at the rate of exchange prevailing the day the merchandise is shipped to the United States.

If a higher value than the market value described above is established for merchandise intended for export to the United States, then the higher value is regarded as the import value of the merchandise.

If neither of the above values can be satisfactorily ascertained, then the value shall be the value at which such or similar merchandise is offered for sale in the principal market of the United States, with allowances for duty, cost of transportation, and insurance, commissions, etc.

If none of the above values can be ascertained, then the cost of production shall be the value.

The value of certain articles of merchandise, such as coal-tar finished products and intermediate products, is the American selling price or usual wholesale selling price in the principal market of the United States.

Exports by mail, valued at $25 or more, are included in the statistics of exports in 1936. Statistics of such shipments were not collected from July 1, 1933, through December 31, 1935.

The country to which exports are credited in the statistics is the country of final destination. In case the final destination of the merchandise is not known to the exporter, the country to which the goods are consigned is credited with the merchandise. The country to which imports are credited in the statistics is the country in which the merchandise was invoiced, except when the entry or invoice clearly shows that the goods were actually shipped from some other country, through the country where the goods were invoiced. In such cases, the imports are shown as coming from the country from which the merchandise was originally forwarded.