The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-08-08
FOREIGN TRADE FIGURES.
PAST YEAR CHARACTERIZED ny
FOUR GREAT FACTS.
First Time Exceeds s2.o0o, 100000
Exports Larger and More widely


OF statistics upon the foreign commerce OF
the United States during the year ending
June %. 1850. has been completed and VIII
form part of the June Summary OF
Commerce and Finance, which will make
its appearance during the coming week
The report shows the total imports OF
merchandise during the year were ssts.-
7i4,G70: the total exports, 81. sa41&.s1l. The
principal features OF the report. emitting
the statistical tables. are as follows:
Four great facts characterize the for
eign commerce OF the United States IN
1900. the closing year OF the decade and
century:
l. The total commerce of the year sur
passes by 1919. ~. $50 that OF any preced-
ing year, and for the first time in our
history exceeds two billion dollars.
2 The exports exceed those of any pre-
ceding year, and have been more wide-
ly distributed throughout the world than
ever before.
3 Manufacturers materials were more
freely imported than ever before and
formed larger share OF the total inn
ports than on any former occasion.
T. Manufactured articles were more
freely exported than ever before and
formed larger share OF the total ex-
ports than on any former occasion.
In exports every great class OF articles
showed larger total than in the pre-
ceding year; In imports every class except
manufacturers materials showed
smaller percentage of the total than In
the preceding year. while manufacturers
materials showed much larger total
and larger percentage of the grand total
than In any former year.
Imports OF Raw Materials.
Two OF the five great classes OF imports
The first OF these. articles In a crude
condition. which enter into the various
processes OF domestic industry" includes
and In chiefly made up of unmanufactured
hbers. raw silk. wool. crude india rubber.
hides and skins, pig iron, and certain
chemicals. The second. articles wholly
terfals in manufacturing" including wood,
leather. furs. cement. yarns. oils. dyes and
dyewoods. and certain chemicals. The
other three classes Of imports are food
consumption. and articles OF voluntary
use. iuxuries, etc. OF the two classes des-
fgnated as manufacturers' materials. that
wnlsn rs only ar articles ~ crude
1900 $so2 264 ,los against 500. 6s7.77a in isee.
or nearly 10 per cent greater than in any
preceding year; while the class which in
featured for use in manufacturing
amounts 10 50. <s3s4a against S9s s53 s03 in
1895 and slos. l3e.52s in 1891. The share
which articles 70 crude condition for use
ports In constantly increasing and In the
year just ended formed by far the largest
total and largest percentage Of the grand
merce. or the total imports Of the year.
manufacturers materials. including the
two classes above named. show an in
c crss o. srsss s over nos ,s % u. pre-
foodstuns, manufactures and Iuxuries.
show an Increase OF but 49, over the
preceding year. thus showing that over
two-thirds OF the increased importations
OF the year are in manufacturers ma
terials.
Exports Of Manufactures.
While manufacturers materials show
the largest growth In our imports. man.
sre%,h IN our IN. ,oss
OF manufactures In 1900 amounted 10 ttse.-
sA.sss. AGAINST ssss, sis 5ss u the preceding
year r A. increase Ssa e Of SOS wn,e y
TO so much AZ $50. ooo0oo. Manufactures
formed sly Per cent. Of the total export
in 1895. 20. Is per cent. In 1856 is per cent
In 1879. 2ss7 per cent. in 1887, 2s.ls per cent
in 1870 and f2.7s per cent In 1880. Esporis
OF manufactures in 1860 were 1929. ss2.
ports in 1900 were ssss. sfs.os7. and IN 1901.
81. 3ei fss, 37i Thus. while the total ex-
ports Of 1900 are four times an great as
in 1880. those OF manufactures alone are
ten times Az much as In 1890. In that
year manufactures formed hut I17s per
cent of our total exports. while in 1900
they form 20! pc, cent q our total ss-
with the year 1900. tho growth In exports
OF manufacturer has been equally ~trik-
ing In 1851 the total exports amounted
to $3.50 40, SO. and those OF manufactures
alone to ss.az7 ais. the total exports for
1900 thus being but 80 per cent. IN excess
Of isai. while the exports ~ manufactures
This rapid growth in the expectation og
manufactures II particularly gratifying
when compared with that 81 other nations
the worlds markets IN manufactured
goods. In 1891. as already Indicated. our
total exports of manufactures we're but
f'ni,sd Kinsaom were ssls TX ssa ~ KS US
our own exports ~ manufactures had In
creased 70 fsSs ia and these 81 tho
exports ~ manufactures from the United
States were tia2 ssf.Dfk. and fhors from tha
United Kingdom were ss71ssi 40. In 1850,
exports OF manufactures from the Tinted
States were t5i, ioaszs and those from
the United Kingdom were fi.fea. ls5.fN. In
1900. exports ~ manufactures from the
Tnited atatee hal reached tsz1 - .sss.
while those from the Unlted Elurdom,
dropped 10 fazs iez RS. Thus our exports
~ manufacture are row ten tisneA ns
much as in i01. ~hiie those ~ the United
Kingdom are but nne and one-hnif times
a. great as IN isAA
Commerce. with Grand Divisions.
study 81 our imports from the grand
divisions az the world illustrates the
growth IN this proportion 81 our imports
which ts being supplied hy tbe tropical
and subtrCt4cai parts % the world In
100 the lf1ports from Europe were $40
~ .2fs ard in ivH fsta S@. 40. from North
America ths smpaTss ~ 100 were fiss.
asa TsG and 10 1860 ti2s sas. SIS from Sauth
America. from waich Cur imports are al
fsost exclusively tropical ard sgb;rOfdrai
the imports ~ 1880 wsye - - fss and IN
800 80 s1A.i1ts frcm Asia, whose 9up-
plies nent 20 fhr Inited states are chiefly
tropical and an3fopfcat n character our
Imports IN 1850 we're s67 ~ va ard IN 100
tles ~ 90. from Oreania. tying almost tx.
riuairsiv in she TROPICS the imports IN
,sst wcre ~ ~ "a. and 81 go. tat -. efz.
and from Africa. from wale~ oGF imports
are almost exclusively tropical ard sub
tropical htir imports IN 1850 Merc &C. x7I fTT
and IN 1900 f3i.ITfR.
Imports From the Island.
That large proportion ~ th@ growing
demand for tropical ard EahtruElscsi pro =
ncss car be supplied BY the Islands With
have Recently come into closer relations
with the United States IL illustrated by
the statistics showing the value ~ the
tfs1rscrrS into the fFrtted States from Gu