The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-08-13
Our Foreign Trade
In Iron and Steel

CD HE phenomenal growth of our man.
ufacturirg industries, both in sup
plying our own markets and those
of other parts of the world, rs IL
lustrated by some figures juSt
compiled by the treasury bureau OF sta
tistiCs Regarding the imports ana exports
OF manufactures OF iron and steel These
tables show that the exports OF mAnuiac-
lures of iron and steel In the fiscal year
1898 were i've times as great as In 1881.
more than double these In any year prior
to 1896 and % per cent. greater than In
1897. On the other hand the imports OF
the manufactures of iron and steel IN 1898
were in value but one-sixth those of 1880,
one-fourth those of 1888 and one-half
those of 1896
To quote the official figures the eX-
ports from the United States of all ar
tices classified as Manufactures of Iron
and Steel amounted in 1880 to Sli1l6,5A
In 1890 to $2j5i2,2 20S, in 1896 to S1.l6O,SiL in
1887, sJ7, i9,S72, and in 1898 to SO,S61,127
Meantime the imports of manufactures OF
iron and steel which in 1880 were Sl2b6.699
fell by 1890 to SAL, $40 sol, by 1896 to $2j33S,-
l03 and in 1898 to sl2,615,9l3. Thus, while
the exports of manufactures of iron and
steel are in 1898 five times those of 1880,
the imports of the same class of articles
were in 1898 less than one-ffth those OF
| 1850. In 1850 our imports of manufactures
of iron and steel were five times
| as much as our exports. while IN
| 1898 our exports of iron and steel were
more than five times as much as our inn
ports, American manufacturers have,
| since 1880, taken possession of flve-siXths
| of that portion of the home market which
was held by foreign manufactures of iron
| and steel and have at the same time in
| creased their sales in foreign markets 400
l
| steel were falling from II millions to II
| millions the exports of the same class of
| articles increased from IA millions to 70
| millions.
| While the list of articles of iron and
steel is an elaborate one and decrease
| in imports has occurred in nearly all
| articles, 1t is practicable to point out a
few of the more important. Under the
| classification of "Ingots Blooms, Slaos
| Billets and Bars of Steel the importa-
tons of 1888 were Ala, 69S pounds and in
| 1898 only 80, S21 Isl pounds. Wire rods,
| which in 1888 were 276 939, $50 pounds were
| In 1898 39,60l 639 pounds. Chains. which
| in 1888 were 2,O65,7S7 pounds were in 1898
| 1886 pounds. Imports of tin plate terne
| plates and taggers tin which in 1850
amounted to 634,64i9ij pounds were in
1928 III 662, ,3i5 pounds. On the other hand
| the increase in exports of the leading ar
| ticles of this character has been equally
| striking. The exports of bar iron in 1883
| were but 1,50S, ,426 pounds and in 1898 were
| 2,30S. 615 pounds, an increase of about 700
per cent, of cut nails our exports in 1855
| were II, ,963, 664 pounds and In 1898 were -,
$40, 1893 pounds while wire nails which in
1858 were 1.547,07S pounds were in 1898 %,
S94, 099 pounds. OF locomotive engines we
exported in 1883 $407, oil worth and in 1895
s3,SS3.719 worth. OF wire our exports in
1858 were 1876 pounds and in 1898 1885,
95l, 92i pounds.
The people of all parts of the world
| seem to have developed a liking for our
manufactures of iron and steel; our
| sewing machines hum in Africa, the
East Indies. Colombia Cuba, Central
| America and the islands of Oceanica
our telegraph instruments click in Japan
| China Australia, Russia and in all parts
of Europe. Our wire nails go to all Eu
| ropean countries. TO Canada. British Hoa
duras, all the Central American states
| Mexico, British West Indies. Cuba
| Porto Rico the South American states
| China, British East Indies, Hong Kong
Japan, French OceaniCa, British Aus
| tralasia, British Africa and Liberia; oul
| steel rails and locomotives go to Aus
tralia, China, Japan, Hawaii, Central ano
South America, Africa and Russia Oul
| electrical machinery Is attracting the at
| tehtlon VI tne WoIiu anu uuIlns tlle pas
year Austria Hungary, France, Germany
Italy, the United Kingdom. Argentina
Brazil. Mexico. Japan, British Austral
| asia, British Africa and French Afrlc;
have been among its purchasers. In "
cry country in the world and in practical
ly every inhabited island where article
of civilized or semi-civlized use are re
Quired American manufactures of irol
and steel find purchasers and. as show
by the figures which follow the deman'
for them is rapidly increasing.
| The following table shows the value o
imports and exports of manufactures o
iron and steel irto and from the Unit
, ! States strCe 1880.