Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-06-18
TRADE WITH CUBA
Important Statement Presented to
the Cabinet Meeting.
HAVOC WITH COMMERCIAL INTERESTS
Tremendous Falling Off in Busi-
ness With the Island.
RESULT OF THE WARFARE

A very important statement concerning
the trade between the United States and
Cuba was presented at the cabinet meet
ing today by Secretary of Agriculture Will
son. 1t shows that the war being carried
on there is making tremendous havoc
with commercial interests, so that dur
ing the last fiscal year the total value
Of the Cuban trade amounted to only
A7,54s.610, as compared with $102, So. 2O3
in 1888 According to the trade now going
on. the total for the present year will not
exceed $20,OOO.OOO, OR less than one-fifth of
the value recorded in 1893.
This presentation showing the ir Jury
which the Cuban war is doing American
interests made deep impression on men,
bers Of the cabinet, especially Secretary
Sherman, who expressed surprise at the
vastness of the injury being done to Ameri-
can interests. 1t is not unlikely that this
statement will have great influence on the
attitude of the administration on the Cuban
question.
The statement relating to the Cuban
trade will be issued by the Department Of
Agriculture in a bulletin. The information
it contains is based on the official import
and export returns published by the bu-
reau of statistics OF the United States
Treasury Department The statistics given
cover the ten years ended June 80, 1896.
and in some cases also the first niue
months of the current fiscal year.
The circular then continues: The sta
tisttcs given show very clearly the effect
of the present hostilities in Cuba upon our
commercial intercourse with that island.
During the last fiscal year QS96) the total
value of our Cuban trade amounted to
only $47, 548, 610 as compared with $l02 Ssh
2O4 In 1888, the year preceding the break
ing out of the war. This was a falling OF
o: more than 80 per cent in the short space
of three years. Such returns as are al
ready available for the current fiscal year
indicate still further decline, the records
OF the nine months ended March 81. 1897.
placing the total value Of the trade for
that Leriod as low as $14.926.S17. At this
re te the figures for the entire fiscal year
1897 will hardly reach s20,OO0.0OO. or less
than one-ffth the value recorded for 1885,"
During the carly yeacs of the decade
covered by the above table cur trade with
Cuba had received quite an impetus, the
years 1857 to 1893. inclusive, with the single
exception OF 1883. showing uninterrupted
gains. and had it not been for he opening
of the war. it Is not improbable that still
greater expansion would have followed. As
1t is, however. commercial interchange be-
tween the United States and Cuba has
beel very largely Abridged.
Our imports from Cuba have generally
been much in excess OF our exports to that
island, tie balance Of trade being decided
ly against the United States. During the
ten years, 1SS7-1S96. the value of the mer-
CQdnulSe imported lNetlSSu SG', per
annum. and that of the merchandise ex-
ported only S14.O17,572 per annum-
The largest imports of the decade, and
also the largest exports, were for the year
1893, amounting to $7S. 706.506 and $24. 49,
Cos, respectively. In 1896. the last year for
which full returns are available. the i'm
ports fell to s40.0i7, 100 and the exports to
81, 53O,SSO The remarkable decline that
took place in our trade with Cuba from
July /. 1896, to March 81. 1897. occurred
chiefly In the case of the imports, the total
value Of the merchandise imported during
the nine months amounting to only $S.Si1,-
S31, or little more than the value of the
exports for the same period. the latter
being returned at S60S4.9S6.
"Of the merchandise imported into the
United States from Cuba fully 30 per cent
fve-y EAR period, 1887 agricultural pro-
ducts constituted 3O82 per cent of the to-
tai imports, having an average annual
value of $4s. .24l as against $4.s40.9S5 for
the non-agricultural imports. During. the
following quinQuennium. 1892, 1856. the diff
ference between the two classes of mer-
chandise was still more marked, the agri-
cultural imports reaching an average value
per annum Of SCI .059. 913. or 1888 per cent
of the total. while the non-aSricultural
commodities imported had an average
yearly value of only 1881 ,166, or 612 per
cent Of the total"
The sugar trade has suffered greatly dur
ing the Cuban war. On this subject the
bulletin will state:
among the products imported from Cuba
sugar Is by far the most important, amount
ing in value to more than Is per cent of the
entire imports for the decade 1SS7-1S96.
The heaviest shipments on record occurred
in 1894. reaching as high 2.127. 1929
pounds. with a value of 500. III, 745. During
the two succeeding years the importations
of sugar became very much smaller
amounting in 1893 to only 1908. Ill .sl2
pounds, valued at $24, 1O2, 1885,
Returns for the nine months ended
March 81. 1897, exhibit still greater fall
ing of, the records for that period show
ing total importation Of only 205.579, TO
imports of molasses from Cuba, which in
1894 amounted to 15S93,579 gallons, valued
at 81, 14S.412, were reduced in 1896 to 1.71O,
ISL gallons, valued at $12S,474.
modify imported in our trade with Cuba
is leaf tobacco. Prior to the fiscal year
1896 the largest importation recorded was
for 1893. and amounted to q, 694 .s91 pounds,
with a value of $S.9fO,O5S.
"In 1896, however, these figures were
considerably exceeded, the quantity I'm
ported during that year being returned at
49, .317 pounds. and the value at $1O.
613, 1853. These uninterrupted shipments
are probably accounted for by the fact that
the western end Of the island, where the
chief tobacco growing districts are situate,
has only recently been invaded by the op-
posing forces, the contest having until the
present year been confined almost exclu-
sively to other portions of the island. Since
the invasion of this region. however, there
has been a great decline in our importa-
lions of Cuban tobacco. the records for the
nine months ended March 81. 1897. placing
the total amount received during that pc
riod at 3, Az, 800 pounds, and the value at
81 ,6S1, 298. According to the returns for
the corresponding months Of the fiscal
year 1886, the importatfons during that Pc
riod amounted to q. OS5.251 pounds. with q
value reaching $S.O5S.6 47."
Among the agricultural products export
ed from the United States to Cuba. lard
ranks first in Importance. The total ship
ment Of this article during the ten fiscal
years 1SST-1s96 reached above $2o.OOOOOO In
value forming nearly one-half of the total
agricultural exports. In 1895 the total ex-
ports fell as low as 20 21S.302 pounds. with
a value of only 81, 551, 1856
During the fiscal year 1893 breadstuffs
to the value of $S,512.207, the highest fig
ures for the decade, were shipped from
the United States to Cuba. Each succeed
ing year witnessed smaller expectations
until in 1896 the total shipments were
valued at only STA 1872. or little more than
a fifth of the value returned for 1893.
"Of the vegetables shipped from the
United States to Cuba. potatoes and beans
and peas comprise the principal part. The
largest shipments were made In the fiscal
year 1898 The total value of all vegeta-
bIes exported during that year reached
close to a railiion dollars, the exact figures