Evening star., 1896-10-07
IMPORTS AND EXPORTS
An Interesting Statement Compiled by the
Agricultural Department.
Figures Submitted Show an Upward
Tendency and the Return OF Our
Commerce to Its Former State.

The imports into and the exports from the
United States for 1893, 1894, 1895 and 1876
are reviewed in detail ir tabulated state
Inent compiled by the Agricultural De-
partment The statement also shows tina:
during the ten years ended June 30 last
our total exports amounted to =. 351 .0TI .Gn4
Imports for the same period being 1885,
III, ,1S, the total commerce of the United
States, including imports and exports, for
the decade was $l6013, ,205. .3Ss, or a yearly
average of more than 81 $l.ta0,U00,000.
Compared with the ANIMAL average Of
this ten-year period, the statement says
the figures for 1896 show an upward ten
dency not quite SO marked rs the gain over
1896, but sufficient to warrant the hope that
unless some new disturbing factor arises
the commercial depression of 1S4-1S95 is
thing of the past, and our commerce. the
measure of general prosperity. will soon re-
sumo its former dimensions.
Farm Products.
During the fiscal year just ended the
American farmers sold to foreign nations
S5I0On.OO0 worth of their produce, gain
Of $17, 7,0O0OOO over the preceding year. That
this increase in absolute value is accom-
panied by falling off in percentage from
30 to 66 is due, the statement continues. to
the fact that the sale abroad of our manu-
much faster. gaining $AWl,oU for the
year.
1t is shown that many of our principal
farm products, like cotton, wheat, lard,
bacon, leaf tobacco, etc, brought smaller
returns from foreign markets than in 1888.
Wheat, -four, canned beef and picked pork
held their own, while farm animals, corn
fresh beef, hams, o!eomargdrine, oil cake,
fruits and nuts brought better returns than
last year. This is particularly noticeable
in corn. During the past fiscal year ms
country sold to the English-speaking pep
| pie of Europe $D6,VU,yW worth of mer-
| chandise. which is iG per cent Of our total
exports; and We bought from them $lIo-
OO,tsg worth of goods, or % per cent OF the
| total imports. AL parts of the British en-
| pire in all continents bought from US sol >
U0,WO worth Of goods, or IS per cent OF the
| total exports.
! or the more important countries that
bought from more than S1D,Oo0 worth
of goods during the year Germany, Can
| ada, Italy, British Australasia, British AZ
| rica, Japan, Russia and China show de
| cided gains in 1S96 over 1888. The United
! Kingdom shows gain over 1888, but a
| falling off from 1888. A very rapid and
! continuous decline is shown in our exports
to Cuba which dropped from s24.00o.1o in
1893 to s2o11.G0 in 1884. declined to sl3.
OOO.W0 in 1888, and amounted to only 81,
JOO,WO in 1886.
Last Yenr'a Figures.
| The statement continues: Our total inn
ports during the year were s1So.0o0.UH
worth of goods. This was a years gain of
siSOOO,0O. A considerable falling off is
| noticeable in the import values of coffee,
manufactured silks. India rubber tea, cot
| ION laces, goat skins and tin plates. As
| in exports, the United Kingdom of Great
| Britain and Ireland leads in imports. We
| obtained from English-speaking nations
| $50 OtSlND worth of merchandise, or 81
| per cent of the total
| After the United Kingdom follow in or
der Germany, Brazil, France, Canada.
Cuba, Japan, Italy. China and British In
| dia.
| In shipments to our shores for 1S.A
| nearly all of the principal countries show a
decline as compared with 1S8 the exec p
| tions being Canada, China, Dutch Eas;
| India, Belgium and Hawaii. Our imports
from Cuba, which were valued at s73,"U..
| 900 in 1888, shrank to $40.Gou.UtO in 1896, o.
| a little over half of the former amount
Mexico dropped from Ssi,Wn,pO to ST.
UU,OO0. Compared with 1895, there is q
gain in 1896 in the imports from most OF
the principal countries, the exceptions be-
ing Brazil, Cuba, British India, SwitZer
land and the Netherlands