Evening star., 1899-01-30
FALLING OFF IN IMPORTS
Smallest Amount in Twenty Years, With
One Exception.
Reduction is Altogether in Articles
Entered Free Many Glasses Having
Been Added to the Dutiable List.

The details of the import trade of the
United States in the year just ended have
Just been completed by the bureau of sta
tistics. They show the ST lest Importation
in twenty years. with the single excep-
tion of the year 1889. The total imports
for the year are sfz}4. .9Js .:.:.,g. the revised
figures being slightly in excess of those of
the preliminary statement issued by the bu-
reau of statistics earlier in the month. This
Is S1a"tAo..s@ less than the imports of 1897
and S2O1,rnp.0OO less than those of 1892,
while. as already indicated. they are the
lowest in twenty years, with the single eX-
ception of lsS-1
The reduction Of imports is altogether in
articles free of duty. the dutiabe imports
in 1s!ls being $:6,i. .J.,5 JJ-i9. while those of
1891 were S:3G :'t,:, 10. while the free Of duty
articles imported amounted in value in
1s:iS 10 $2iS. .;6:, 6sn. against 3I53i2..11O in
1891. This reduction of $ioo.ood909 in the
importation Of uup-!utiabie articles is due,
first. to a very great reduction in the i'm
portatipEs of wool and the transfer of
wool from the free to the dut.ab e lst;
second. TO d reduction in the free impcrta-
tipu OF manufactured articles. whether for
use IN the mechanic arts or for consump-
ton; tnIrd, TO the transfer of tea from the
free lis, To- the dujiabIe list. and. fourth. To
a reduction in the prices and also a slight
reduction in he quantity of coffee imported.
The class articles Of food and live ami
mails" which amounted to $11S IA. 700 i'll
ISy7. was but SS7.:'2c}.6i4 In 1s.'s and this.
a. already indicated. is readily acCCu:s . ed
for by thu transfer of tea from the fres 10
tine dutiaDle list. and, second. by the re-
dUced prices we'll reduced impOrta-
tons ct coffee and certain other articles
which still come in free Of duty. hut the
hsvsi a Ia
total in va ueS as last year.
Articles manufactured for use in the me-
chaHic arts fell from 81, ,2..% - in 1897 to
S19. lGGJl1 in 1895; articles manufactured
1897 to SI,Si2.J5I in 1S!>. and articles of
voluntary use. luxury, etc, fell from So
IO231U in 1891 to $3.S51.3TI in 1888. The
above statements all relate to the n0n-duti-
abe impDrtatiOns.
Under the dutiable head the imports of
1SlS, as already indicated. differ but little
from those of 1881 Articles of food and
live animals coming i'm under the dutiab!c
list amounted in 1898 TO 800 5OG l IS
against slG1, 1,3493T3 I'm 1897. Articles in a
crude condition for domestic industry show
a marked increase, being $49oIo. sI3 in 1895,
against S32..s,'J. I94 In 1887. this being due 10
the general activity on the part of manu-
facturerS and to the fact that wool was in
July. 1897. transferred from the free to
the duti.ble list.
Articles manufactured for Use in the mo-
chanic arts amounted in 1898 to SO g6I. .169,
against $lI,sIs ;G3 in 1897. and articles
manufactured for consumption amounted
TO s@6.%2,2I2 In 1S:lS. against sg1 .S.l3 6il5 in
1897 aud Sl"h3S1,:.Os in 1856. Articles of
voluntary use. !uXurics. etc. under the .Iu-
liable list amounted in value to SSu, ,ust-, / 3.
in 1N''s against T6,625. 100 in 1897
OF the total tmpOrtatiOns Of 1S9S 49, per
cent were imported free OF duty. against
0O9 per cent in 1887, ~ per cent in 1895.
bf.t per cent in 1894. 5iG per cent in 1891
% per cent In 1Sgp and from ~ 10 n per
cent in the years ranging from 1884 to 1881.
The reduction of more than $1uU. .UuU. 400 i'm
imports Is app0rtiOned among the great
groups As follows: Articles manufactured
for consumption, $l+.GpOoOu, articles manu-
factured for use in the mechanic arts So
N".ntu. articles of food and live animals
~f-H""l, and articles in crude condi-
tou Tor domestic industry. &}qopD 900