The Wilmington daily Republican., 1900-01-29
OUR ORIENTAL TRADE
Exports Have More Than Doubled
In the Past Three Years, ~
TRADE STEADILY INCREASING.

NSMFhy MAA 0CNh hAAuC huu Z
Five YeArs-The Import. Not So
Heavy.
Washington, Jan. ga report of
our Asiatic trade, prepared by Mr..
Frank Fl. Hitchcock, chief Of the for
eign markets section Of the agricul-
tural department, shows that there has
been great development of our trade
with China and Japan during the past
decade. Record figures were easily
reached in the fiscal year 1899. when
the value Of the merchandise exchang-
ed with these two countries, including
the port Of Hong Kong, reached $751;
305, 5,6S8, against only S46,296,l67 in
1889. The four years following 1889
witnessed steady increase that finally
eliminated in 1893 with record of
$G0,2S1, 1886, the highest up to that
time. In the fiscal year 1884, during
which our importations were greatly
curtailed as result Of the prevailing
to $51, ,513,149 and thereafter rose stead
lily by leaps and bounds.
OF the SS7.305. .68S valuation placed
upon our trade with Japan, China and
Hong Kong during 1899 S47,815, OBS
represented the imports into the Uni
ted States and s39. .490, ,653 the exports
from this country. The excess of i'm
ports over exports amounted to SS,-
324,3S2. In 1899 the imports were val
ued at 335, ,196,67O and the exports at
I'll ,0S7 ,497, q difference of $24, 4,099 ,178.
These figures show in the decade end
ed with 1899 gain Of $2S, 1893, 1853, or 256
per cent in exports, while the increase
in imports amounted to only $12,61S,-
365, or 36 per cent. During the last
few years, in fact. the imports dis
closed an actual falling of, the value
for 1899 being 1,164,13 less than that
for 1896, which was recorded at $49.-
979.166. Our exports, on the other
hand, more than doubled during the
three years succeeding 1886.
During the years 1Ss9-1899 our i'm
ports from Japan advanced from $16,-
6S7,992 to $26,716,4 ,493, and the exports
from $4.619,9S5 to $17,264,6SS. In the
last few years there was remarkable
growth of exports. From 81, ,6S9, ,6S5, in
1896, the value Of exported merchan-
disc rose to S13,255,47s in 1897 and to
$50, 1856, ,420 in 1898. The value for 1899,
$17,264, ,6S8, although somewhat less
than that for 1888, was larger than any
previous record.
In our commerce with China during
18S9-1S99 there was gain Of $l3,293,-
1853. The increase occurred almost en-
tirely in the export trade, which ad-
vanced from $2,791, ,129 in 1889 to $14,-
493, ,440 In 1899. Our imports for 1899,
amounting to $18,6l9,2 ,26S. were only
slightly larger than in 1889, when
value of s17,02S,4l2 was reported. The
exports to China, like those to Japan.
showed an exceptional growth in 1897,
1893 and 1899.
Our trade with Hong Kong, although
less important than that credited di-
rectly to China, was almost doubled
during 18S9-1S99. Exports for 1899
were $7,732, $50, az compared with only
$3,6S6,3S4 for 1889. The imports were
considerably smaller and showed
marked fluctuations In 1883 they were
valued at $1,4S0,266, but these figures
were not equaled again until 1899,
when a value of $2,479,274 was record
ed.
Our exports to the countries men,
toned consisted chiefly of cotton, cot
ton goods, kerosene oil, wheat flour
and manufactures Of iron and steel.
the value Of these five classes of ar
ticles exported aggregating in 1888
nearly so per cent of the total exports
to China, Japan and Hong Kong.
Japan took nearly all the raw cotton,
while cotton manufactures went quite
as largely to China. All three took
kerosene oil in large quantities The
exports of wheat flour almost trebled
during the decade, exports to Japan
actually rising from 1857 barrels in
1888 to 16l.e54 barrels in 1893, while
Hong Kong in the latter year took
939, ,053 barrels, against 37S,634 in 1883.
China's direct -four importations were
small.
The gain in exports Of iron and steel
were very rapid in 1896, 1897 and 1898,
most of the exports going to Japan,
which took $3,1o5,l 1852 worth in 1893.
out of total for the year of 81, 3,713,967.
For 1889 the iron and steel exports to
the three places named were only
$519,212. Generally speaking it may
be stated that the figures show that the
gain in our Asiatic exports has been
nearly all made in the last five years.