Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-07-18
OUR TRADE WITH PORTO Rico.
Next to SPANS 1t is the Largest OF
ANY Country.

In view of the present war plans q COM
prehensive statistical report of the trade
of Porto Rico. just prepared under the d.
Iection of Mr.. Frank II. Hitchcock cf!cf
of the foreign markets section of the Ag-
ricultural Department, and approved by
Secretary Wilson, is OF unusual interest.
During the calendar year 1896 the foreign
trade of Porto Rico, according to the off,
cal returns. attained total value of s26.-
G24,120. exceeding all previous records, and
Icing a gain in ten years of more than
Sl5Do,o0o. Imports into Porto Rico gen.
orally have somewhat exceeded exports
hut in 1896. for the first time In over a de-
cade the value of the merchandise shipped
to foreign markets was slightly greater
than that of the imported wares. The ex-
ports for 1896 had a value of SIS. 341, 430
decidedly the largest on record, while the
imports for the same year, SIS 80, 600. were
surpassed only in 1894, when the foreign
goods received amounted to sl90s6. 3a6.
The foreign trade OF Porto Rico is con-
Quoted chiefly with SPAIN the United
States Cuba, Germany, the United King
dom and France. Spain received the larg-
est share of the trade, its transactions
having an average annual value of 50. $751;
GA, which was $50 per cent of the total
valuation placed upon the islands COM
merce. The United States ranked second,
the value of the goods exchanged averag-'
ing Sc S45 252 a year, or 1894 per cent Of
the total. Cubas trade with Porto Rico
amounted TO IL. IL per cent of the total,
having an average yearly value of $1,000
20. During 1886, the latest year covered
by the Porto Rican statistics, which Nj.
Hitchcock succ eeded in obtaining in ad-
vsnce indirectly from the colonial admin
istration of the island. there were, besides
the six countries cited nine other countries
with which the island had a trade exceed
ing 100000. They follow: British possess
sions, other than East Indies s. O3a 749:
Italy, 81 .047 SAB: British East Indies $685.
$50; Austria-Hungary, 1853. 1888: Belgium,
1910 Argentina, f25l ,S44; Uruguay,
sob, 1913: Netherlands, s170,5s6 and Dem
mark. s137.213.
The islands exports consist almost en-
urely of agricultural produce. OF imports
Manufactured articles do not greatly ex-
coed the agricultural Agricultural i'm
ports in 1893 were valued at S.11l 352
made up chiefly of rice, wheat -four and
hog products. Non-agricultural imports
being cotton fabrics whose imports reach
ed S20Io,6GI in 1895. Fish, wood leather
and tobacco also were extensively import
ed Most Of the rice imported is supplied
by the British West Indies, Germany and
Spain.
Coffee and sugar. the leading products of
the Island are the important factors in
Porto Ricos trade, comprising in value
fully 50 per cent of all the merchandise
sent to foreign markets. Other agricultu-
raj products exported quite extensively are
maize, hides, fruits, nuts and distilled
spirits.
Most of the sugar and nolasses IS des-
timed for the United States, with SDain a
second customer. Spain and Cuba receive
most of the tobacco, the trade with the
United States not being large.