The Saint Paul globe., 1900-01-29
EXPORTS TO EAST
OFFICIAL REPORTS SHOW GREAT
GAIN FOR THE PAST TEN
YEARS
THE FIGURES upon FLOUR
THEY BEAR OUT THE THEORY
THAT THE ORIENT WANTS
AMERICAN WHEAT
IMPORTS BUT HOLD THEIR OWN

Totals for Ten Years Reveal Great
Change In the Balance of Trade
Between the United States and
China and Japan Cotton From
the South One Great Staple of
Oriental Demand.
WASHINGTON, Jan. pa report on
Asiatic trade, prepared by Frank H.
Hitchcock, chief of the foregn markets
section of The agricultural department,
SHOWS that there has been a great de-
Velopment of trade with China and
Japan during the past decade. Record
figures were easily reached in the fiscal
year 1889, when the value of the mer-
chandise exchanged with these two coun-
tries, including the port of Hong Kong,
reached $S7,S05,6SS, against only s46-
Ss4,l67 III 1889. The four years following
1889 witnessed a steady increase that
hnally eliminated in 1893 with a record
OF $6O,2S1, 1885, the highest up to that time.
In the fiscal year 1894, during which our
importauons were greatly curtailed as a
result of the prevailing financial de-
preston, the trade dropped to $51, 81. .149,
and thereafter rose steadily by leaps and
bounds.
OF the $S7, ,9O5, ,6SS valuation placed upon
our trade with Japan, China and Hong
Kong during 1899, .$47, ,S15, OBS represented
the imports into the United States and
RSS' 65S the exports from this country.
The excess of imports over exports
amounted to $S,324,SS2 In 1889 the i'm.
ports were valued at $35, 1876. $40. and the
exports at $11,O97, ,497, a difference of S24.-
VSSlIS. These figures show that in the
decade ended with 1899 there was a gain
OF $zS,S9 l56 or 156 per cent, in exports
while the increase III imports amounted
to only $12,61S,365 or 36 per cent. During
the last lew years, in fact, the imports
olsclosed an actual falling off, the value
Tor 1899 being SILICA, 131 less than that for
1876, which was recorded at $4S, 979. 1866
Our exports, on the other hand, more
than doubled during the three years sue
ceeding 1896 =
STEADY GROWTH.
During the years 1SS9-1S99 our imports
from Japan advanced from $166S7 .ss2 TO
$26 49S, ard the exports from s4619. .sS5
TO $l7,264,6SS. In the last few years there
was remarkable growth of exports,
from $7,6S9,6S5 in 1896 the value of ex-
ported merchandise rose to $13, ,255, ,478 in
1897, and to 500, 42O in 1898. The value
Tor 1899, $17, ,2S4,6SS although somewhat less
than that for 1898, was larger than any
previous record.
In our commerce with China during
lSS9-l899 there was a gain of $13,293. 1853.
Ihe increase occurred almost entirely in
the export trade, which advanced from
81, ,12S III 1889 to $14, ,493, ,440 in 1899. Our
imports for 1899, amounting to $1S, ,689, ,26s,
were only slightly larger than in 1889.
when a value of $17, ,O2S, Alp was reported.
The exports to China, like those to Jap
an, showed an exceptional growth in 1897.
1898, and in 1899.
Our trade with Hong Kong, although
less important than that credited direct
ly to ChiEa, was almost doubled during
1SS9-lS99. Exports for 1899 were S7.732-
525, as compared with only So, ,6S6. 1894 for
1889. The imports were considerably
smaller and showed marked fluctuations.
In 1889 they were valued at 81, ,4S0, ,266, but
these figures were not equaled again un-
til 1899, when value of $2,479,274 was re-
corded.
VOLUME OF EXPORTS.
Our exports to the countries mention
ed consisted chiefly of cotton, cotton
goods, kerosene oil, wheat -four and
manufactures of iron and STEEL the value
OF these five classes of articles exported
aggregating in 1898 nearly so per cent
of the total exports to China, Japan and
Hong Kong. Japan took nearly all
the raw cotton, while cotton manufac-
lures went quite as largely to China
All three took kerosene oil III large quan.
titles.
The exports of wheat and flour almost
trebled during the decade, exports to
Japan actually rising from 1857 barrels
In 1889 to 1864 barrels in 1898, while
Hong Kong the latter year took 939. .O5s
barrels, against 37S,634 in 1889
China's direct flour importations were
small.
The gain in exports of iron and steel
was very rapid in 1885, 1897 and 1898. most
Of the exports going to Japan, which
took $3,l95 152 worth in 1898 out of a total
for the year of $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. Aside from
the five classes mentioLed the chief ex-
ports have been paper, alcohol, tobacco,
leather, lubricating oils, lumber and
scientific apparatus. OF the imports silk
and tea made up 70 per cent of the total.
Japan sending most of the former and
China most of the latter. Silk imports
were $2S, 1886 in 1898, and tea imports
$S,S96,S36 In that year We imported &c.,
453, 406 worth of raw silk and $2,06S 66S
worth of silk manufactures from Japan,
IT, W. -raa