New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-07-24
TRADE WITH Porto RICO.
A BULLETIN ISSUED BY THE SECRETARY
OF AGRICULTURE
AMERICAN TRANSACTIONS IN 1897 ALMOST THE
SMALLEST SINCE THE CIVIL wAR--AUG-
MENTED BY RECIPROCITY.

Washington. july 23.-The trade between the
United States and Porto Rico Is reviewed in n
bulletin issued by the Secretary OF Agriculture and
compiled under the direction Of Frank II. Hitch
cock chief Of the foreign markets section. Spe-
cial efforts TO secure the most trustworthy and
complete data made. owing to the avowcd
intention OF me Administration TO make the island
permanent possession. The official returns show
that tho commercial transactions Of the United
States with Porto Rico during the fiscal year 1884,
just closed. amounted In value 20 til69 al2 the
least since the civil War; except IN 1880 when they
fell to &3o.o56 The highest mark was IN 1872.
when imports and exports had a combined currency
value Of $l3.N0g25. Subsequently the trade declined
rapidly and IN less than decade It had fallen on
one-half. The average annual trade feD from
sGOl7.7S5 for 1852 to &&6.S7 IN lS93'97.
The reciprocity treaty in force In the three fiscal
years 1892 - considerably augmented the trade the
average annually in that period being s. lh'1's.
against & SCI COZ for three preceding years and
SO 800 So in three wears following. While American
imports from Porto Rico increased little during that
treaty period. there an important gain 30 the
volume of the exports to the island Tho sh1nkage
in trade with Porto Rico Is traceable mainly 70 the
falling Off in imports from the Island. The valne
Of the merchandise now sent by the United states
to Porto Rico closely approaches the value q the
goods received in return Formerly the imports
were largely IN excess Of the exports. While tho
annual value Of the latter has remained pracu-
cally stationary. that Of imports has been gfhG-
ually declining. until In the last I'VE years I'D" Nv
orage yearly excess OF the latter over the former
was only 1894 55l against an excess OF %.'s''~'
In 1872.
In 1895 for the nrs; time in the history OF the
trade the shipments OF the United States there
exceeded import6tions. the balance being S'- u"
Agricultural products form the most important part
Of this commerce. being over 50 per cent IN Va'ue
OF merchandise imported and exported Imports
are almost entirely agricultural Non-agrcu!tuIa'
commodities also form less than 80 per cent OF me
exports there. Sugar II the most important o. IN"
Imports comprising nearly % per cent o. AL I'M
pofts and combined with molass"s. would FORM
over % per Fruits. nuts and spices are ot""i
imporiant agricultural Imports 81, &c.,.
The average annual imports OF cof'e ior the Ihs'
five years i64. 80 pounds, worth S"-,pd rms
item has declined almost t~o-tnirls IN the IAst
The leading non-agrcultural imports from there
dycs manufactured wood and salt Br"adsiuH-
and meat products I'm value form nearly ~ per t'ht
a. the agricultural exports 20 Porto Nic". " h"a
-four the leading export. reached a va Ne "I
s57Jsls between 1893 and 1891 During the lat htr
v.ars the average annual value OF "a" W'at 'NiuiH,
returned at 5000 $40 slightly larger than tnat
OF exported brcaastufs. the latter d'cnlhb ana 'e
former Increasing during the lasi d"cad"
Wood and It's manufactures and Inhnufactures OF
iron and steel constitute over half OF me hoh.asH
cultural exports 10 Porto Rico mineral oil ana coal
also being important Items