The evening times., 1900-07-25
TRADE OF PORTO RICO.
Growth of Commerce Under United
States Control

States Control
The Division Of Custom and Insu'ar A.
fairs of tie War Department made public
to-day an abstract of its final monthly bull
letin on the trade OF Porto Rico in the year
and nine months the island has been under
the control of the U-ited States military
forces The abstract is valuable b-cavse it
illustrates the commercial growth OF the
island Under American military occupation
public opinion to the contrary notwith-
standing The abstract gives the total value
OF the imports under American occupation
as SO 5,905,s93, and the total value OF experts
for the same period as $13, ,S23. pa. or with
IN S2,Of1,5l9 of the total value of imports
OF the total value Of imports there was ad-
mltted free of duty So. .154, 1913 OF merchan-
disc, which included S55l, lO4 OF relief sup
plies from the United States OF the total
value Of merchandise imported $5.1s4. $40
was classified as articles of food and ami
maIs and $9,6J3,SS7 woith az manufactured
articles.
AS commercial port San Juan, in the
period OF American military occupation. Jed
all other ports in the island in the matter
OF Imports. the latter being 81. .2e4 ,9S2, as
against S5,3O6,596 for Ponce and 81. .S39, 1872
lot Mayaguez. IN export trade Ponce lead ;
San Juan, there having been exported fiom
thc former port in the period Of military
occupation merchandise to the value OF IS. =
1926, while from San Juan th6Te was
only SS,409,2S2, and from MayGgGez 81 al. =
zoe worth.
One OF the most gratifying features Of the
abstract Is the steady growth Of the i'm
port and export trade CT the island Of
Porto Rico with the United States. In i'm
ports the United States leads on with So.
62L2l5- Spain follows with s.. .224 .316. the
United Kingdom is third with S2.53g. $50
Germany IS fourth with 81. 75S. .434 and
Canada ranks fifth with $3.50 .59S. The
united States also leads in the export
trade OF the island. as there was exported
from Porto Rico TO the United States in
Jne year and nine months Of American mil
ltary occupation Ss.g25. $50 worth OF mer-
chancise- France was the islands next
best customer with So .990.3T wcrth Gu
ba follows with g. Oq79 worth Spain il
fourth with $i.43f C57 worth. and Italy NTH
with SS52.6 worth. In the years 1893 to
lS3b. both inclusive the annual average
NlICe or merchandise imported into Porto
Rico from the United States was only
Ei--li.S.S- In September. 1SgS. the imports
rom the United States only amounted 10
SSo.4.6. while in the last month OF Ameri-
can military occupation iApril. 1900. there
was insorted into Porto Rico from the
United states merchandise % the value Of
$3.50 .is4- The only other month the above
hgures were exceeded was in January 1900
when the imports into the island from the
United States reached $40 S34-
ca the ether hand. the exports from
Porto REQ % ihe United States in Sep
iemDeT lNeS. amounted to only S7.715.
while in the last moUch Of American oc-
crpauon tAprH. 1900. they amounted .
S5iA>b2. being exceeded Cnly in April. lS39.
when they rose 10 $7s0 $50
Spain by her preferential tariff. former
Iy dominated the tTade % the Island Now
her trade relations Ei;h Porto Rico ane
changed The annual Average value of
merchandise imported into Porto Rico
from Spain in the years 1893 10 1885. both
inclusive. was $ 755, ,5l7. The total In
ports from Spain into Porto Rico in the
year ar1 nine months Of American militia
Ty occupation amc-C-td 10 only g. .2a 2i6.
aSainst S652l.Zl5 imports from the Uuire.
S;a-ez- In exports Jhe contrast is sun
more sharply shown. these 10 Spain rcacl~
Ing Sl.i---e57. against $tz25. so worth OF
merchandise exported TO the United States
lu the period Of American military cccuUa-
don. The high water mark q
Spanish importdtions into Porto
Rico was IN December. 1893. whe-i
they reached $3.50 1S9 In April. 1900
they fell 10 SIS -. The same Is true as
TO exports from Porto Rico TO spain In
March, 1889. their value rose 20 SrtI 2ss.
and they gradually reCe5eL TO 81 I22 in
April. 1860 In Angus 1893. December
1889, and February 1909 the exports from
Porto RICO 20 spain flll below Sl3 eco