Evening star., 1898-07-18
OUR GREAT EXPORT TRADE
Record Of the Most Remarkable Year Of Our
Existence.
Balance of Trade in Our Favor More
Than Double That of Any
Previous Year.

The record completed by the bureau of
statistics of the commerce Of the United
States during the last fiscal year becomes
especially interesting when compared with
that of preceding years. Not only does the
years record surpass that of any previous
year in the total exports, but for the first
time in the history of the country the ex-
ports are twice great the imports
and the exports of manufactures exceed
the imports of manufactures. The value of
the expectations of the fiscal year 1898 is
more than seven times that of 1865, four
times as much as in 1863 twice as much as
in 1877, 60 per cent more than in 1897. -
per cent in excess of the great commercial
year of 1892 and S1S0, ,00o, 900 more than the
greatest year of our EXPORT trade-1Sy7
The balance of trade in our favor is more
than double that of any previous year
and nearly equal to that OF the past I'VE
years combined The net importations OF
gold exceed those of any preceding year in
the history of the country, the total gold
imports in excess of exports being for
the full year S1o4 $751; including coin,
bullion and ore, while no preceding year
ever reached the s100.0oo,0oo line in net
imports of gold. When to this is added the
fact that the imports of merchandise Of
the year are less than in any year since
1885, and with this single exception less
than in any year since 1873, II becomes
1898 is altogether unusual one
The balance of trade in our favor in the
year under consideration Is S6l5.2J9 ora,
against S2S6, ,263, 144 in 1897, 1854 661 666 in
1879, $3.50, 712.T1S in 1881, s257 S14 234 in 1873
S237, ,145, $50 in 1894 and S202, S75 6s6 in 1892.
while no other year, except these mem
toned, ever reached the S2Do,o00,o00 line
in its balance of trade, or excess of ex-
ports over imports as it is termed by the
official reports of the bureau of statistics
Indeed, 1t is only since 1870 that the bal
ance of trade has been. as a rule, in our
favor. From 1871 to 1876 there were but
sixteen occasions in which the exports of
the year exceeded the imports. Since that
time, however, the balance of trade has
been almost constantly in our favor, only
three years-1SSS, 1883 and lS93-showing
an excess of imports of merchandise over
our exports. The excess of imports over
1876 was s2,215, ,404,610, while the excess of
exports over imports since that time has
been So, 191, ,26s,300
Mostly Agricultural Exports.
Agricultural productions. Of course. form
a large proportion of the expectations OF
this greatest year in the history of our
commerce. yet they do not form as large
proportion as in many preceding years.
Only Il per cent of the expectations of the
year 1898 are products of agriculture, while
In 1874 they were over ~ per cent of our
tcldi eApoTiSs III 1870, over ~ per cent. III
1872 over rs per cent: in 1881, more than
81 per cent, and in 1880, more than IS per
cent of the total exports. In spite of the
fact that the manufacturers of the coun-
try had an unusual demand upon them
from the home markets during the past
year by reason of the unusually small i'm
portatons of manufactures, they have not
only supplied the home market, sbut in
creased their exports over those OF any
preceding year, so that the total exporta-
tons of manufactured goods in the year
Just ended reaches nearly 500. .UbU 600 while
III no year prior TO the centennial did they
reach as much as 100000, 900
A comparison of the exports of lS,,S with
those OF 1873 shows an increase o. practi-
cally 100 per cent in that period le total
Tor 1888 being $685.. .954. .5U1 against 81 o31
3ll, ,oeS in 1S3S- The extension of our ex-
port trade has been in all parts of the
world, but especially with the distant
points and with those countries and conti-
nents which but decade ago purchased
out little Of our productions
To Africa, which in 1883 bought but
little over S3,0oo.0o0 worth of our produc-
uons, We have during the past year sold
sl',ooOo0O: to Japan. which took but little
over sf0OO.0o0 in 1888, our sales in the year
Just ended We're valued at ST. ooa 900; to
China, which took but 81, 500,o o00 in 1888 we
sold in 1898 s10,000.000