The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-01-29
OUR TRADE WITH THE ORIENT.
INCREASE OF EXPORTS AND M
FORTS IN TEN YEARS.

Enormous Development of Our Com
merce with China and Japan
During That Period-IncrenSe OF
Exports. However, Has Been Great
err Than That of ImportS-Princi-
pal Items of Export and Import.
Exports in 1899 Amounted to $50
305.GSS.
Washington, Jan. ga report on cur
Asiatic trade, prepared by Mr.. Frank H.
Hitchcock, chief of the foreign markets
section of the agricultural department,
shows that there has been a great Develop
ment of our trade with China ana Jap n
during the past decade.
Record figures were easily reached in
the fiscal year 1899, when the value Of the
merchandise exchanged with those two
countries including the port eff Hong
Kong. reached $SzS05 6SS, against only
$l6 294, 167 in 1889. The four years follow
ing 1889 witnessed steady increase that
finally illuminated in 1898 with record of
$50, 2S1 1856, the highest up to that time. IN
the fiscal year 1894 during which our inn
portadons were greatly curtailed as a re-
suit OI tIG ptGNdlllIS lltilhNiHi NNi' '79At't
the trade dropped to sol ,513, 149, and there
after rose steadily by leaps and hounds.
OF the $S7, 305. SIS valuation placed uopn
our trade with Japan, China and Hong
Kong during 1899 $47. ,035 represented the
imports into the United States and $50
1870 653 the exports from this country. The
excess of imports over exports amounted
to s.. 324, 3S2 The figures show that in the
decade ended with 1898 there was a ean
of $2S. S7S l56. or 256 per cent. in exports,
while the increase in imports amounted to
only $1261S, S65, or Sc per cent. During the
last few years. in fact. the imports disclos-
ed an actual falling off the value for 1899
being 81 164 13l less than three years be-
fore while our exports more than doubled.
Trade With Japan.
During tne wears 1SS9-1S99 our imports
from Japan advanced from $l6.6S7992 to
$26 ZIG 1873, and the exports from A,6l99 S5
to $17. 264 SIS. In the last few years there
was a remarkable growth of exports.
From $76S9 ,6S5 in 1896 the value of exported
merchandise rose to $1S255,47S in 1897 and
TO $50 3SS, 400 in 1898. The value for 1899,
ST. 264 6Ss, although somewhat less than
that for 1898, was larger than any previous
| record
In our commerce with China during 1889
1899 there was a gain of SIS, 293. 1853, the in
crease being almost entirely in exports.
The exports to China, like those to Japan,
showed an exceptional growth in 1897. 1898
and 1899 and in 1899 We're S14 499, 40.
Our trade with the port of Hong Kong,
although less important than that credit
ed directly TO China, was almost doubled
| in the decade. Exports for 1899 were ST.
732, 525. Imports showed marked fuctua-
tons, and in 1899 were 81, 479 274.
What the Exports Were.
Our exports to the countries mentioned
consisted chiefly of cotton, cotton goods
kerosene oil, wheat flour and manufac-
lures of iron and steel, the value of these
five classes of articles exported aggregat-
ing in 1898 nearly 80 per cent of the total
exports to China, Japan and Hong Kong
and 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 de-
cade, exports TO Japan actually rising from
1867 barrels in 1889 to 161 ,54 barrels in
1898. while Hong Kong the latter year took
1886. 053 barrels, against 378 634 in 1889
China's direct flour importations were
small. The gain in exports of iron ana
steel was very rapid in 1896 1897 and 1885,
most of the exports going to Japan which
took $3,195,1 52 worth in 1898 out of total
for the year of $3,7l39 67. The gains in our
Asiatic exports have been nearly all male
in the last five years Aside from the five
classes mentioned the chief exports have
been paper, alcohol, tobacco. leather lu-
bricating oils, lumber and Scientific appa-
ratus
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 lat
ter Silk imports were 81. $50, 935 in 1898
and tea imports IS 1876 1886 In that year
we imported SIG 453 406 worth of raw silk
and s., G6S 66S worth of silk manufactures
from Japan, while from China came 81, 506-
400 in raw silk and only $133.9O6 in silk