Go look it up yourself and stop tiptoeing through the tulips.
I know the answer to the question, but I don't want you to take my word for it. You will find it a lot more persuasive if you find the information, because then you will have to realize it's true.
But since you want to hear what i've learned, i'll tell you.
The "North", only produced about 27 % of the total export trade to Europe. The South was producing about 73% of all trade value with Europe.
The North had four times the population, but only produced a little more than 1/4 of the total European export value.
So where were the New York merchants getting the money to buy those European imports? They were getting it from the South, because the South was earning the vast bulk of the European money.
The South was earning 200 million dollars per year from Europe, while the North was earning 78 million dollars per year from Europe.