The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1899-06-26
AMERICAS EXPORT TRADE.
Remarkable Increase I'm Foreign
Sales of Manufactured Goods.

Sales of Manufactured Goods.
The remarkable growth in the exporta-
tion of manufactures has led to the prep
aration by the Treasury Bureau of Statis-
tics of a series of tables showing the value
| of each class of manufactures exported in
each year during the past decade and the
amount of each class sent to each country.
BY this process it is practicable to deter
mine the trend of our foreign trade in
manufactures, both as to the class of man
ufactures most demanded abroad and the
countries which are proving our best Gus
! toners.
That this subject is one which iustifies
careful study is apparent in view of the
fact that the expectation of manufactures
has more than doubled in the last six
years, more than trebled since 1880, more
than quadrupled since 1870, is more than
| eight times as large as il was in 1860, and
in 1898 and 1899 for the first time in our
| history exceeded the importation of manu-
| features. The expectation OF manufac-
| lures in the fiscal year about to end Will
average more than one million dollars a
| day for each business day OF the year.
| A study of the figures which cover the
details of the ten years expectation OF
manufactures shows that the total value
| of our manufactures exported has IN
creased 10 per cent in the decade, while
an examination of the expectation OF
manufactures by other countries fails to
show any considerable percentage OF in
cerase in any of them during the same
period. Great Britain's exports OF man
ufactures show no increase since 1890, the
earliest year at which separate state
ment of manufactures exported is attain
able while her total exports of domestic
products (of which manufactures form
about IS per cent? shows no increase in
value in the decade 1SsS-lS97. From France
the exports of manufactures show an in
crease of but 10 per cent in the decade
1SS7-1s96 Germany 10 per cent, Switzer-
land per cent, Netherlands per cent,
y and Austria Hungary and Russia loss,
while, as above indicated, the exports of
American manufactures in the decade 1882
1898 show an increase of ITO per cent, and
in the year 1899 will be about three times
that of 1879.
An examination of the details of our
own exports of manufactures shows that
it is in the production. manufacture, and
expectation of metal that seem to excel
The history of nations and peoples shows
that great classes of people frequently ex-
Gel in certain industries, and the growth
of our expectation, well our do
TO point to metals as our most successful
line of work, at least at the present time
In 1889 manufactures Of metals formed
less than 20 per cent of our total exports
OF manufactures, while in 1898 they
formed over "A per cent The increase
in expectation of metals and manufac-
lures thereof in the decade 1SS9-1S9S was
339 per cent, while the increase in the
expectation of all manufactures in that
time was but ITO per cent and the increase
in expectation of manufactures other than
those of metals during that time was 90
per cent. In this estimate of the exporta-
tion of manufactures of metals only those
articles composed exclusively of metals
are included, those made up in part of
metals, such as railway cars, agricultural
machinery, ETC., being included among the
other manufactures.
The rapid increase in the expectation
of manufactures of metals is shown by the
fact that the exports of brass and manu-
features thereof in 1889 were but 1921 1877,
and in 1898, $3.50. 093; instruments for
scientific purposes increased from 81 033,-
33S to S2,770. 500, and In the year about to
end will reach nearly $4,000, 900; cycles, of
which there were no expectations in 1889
amounted TO s.s46.5 29 in the expectations
OF 1898; clocks and watches increased
from 81, 1855, 319 in 1889 to 81, 1871 4s9 in 1898;
zinc and manufactures thereof, from $685.
oo1 " slsOoS,OOo, copper anu lls naDuIdC-
lures, from 81, 34S, 1854 to 1872. $50. S72 and
iron and steel from s21, 156.o77 in 1889 to
$40. 406.Ss5 in 1898, while In the fiscal year
1899 the total will exceed 500, 600 600.
Another interesting fact developed by an
examination of the figures is that the Eu-
ropean countries in which manufactures
have long been established furnish as sat
isfactory a market for our manufactured
goods as do the countries where manu-
featuring has not yet been largely devel-
oped. In reapers and mowers, clocks and
watches, sewing machines, bicycles. and
! the various manufactures of iron and steel
J and many other articles of the higher
: grades of manufacture, the European
e countries in which manufacturing plants
and machinery. and skilled workmer
= abound, furnish a market for a large share
S of our exports, thus falling to justify the
, expressed fear that development of man.
: ufactures in countries where we are now
D seeking foothold for our commerce would
+, destroy their value as a permanent mar.
i ket.