Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-04-23
FLOUR FOR THE ORIENT
NEARLY SIX MILLION DOLLARS
WORTH EXPORTED.
Largest Growth in Our Shipments to
the Far East Compared With
Other Trade.

The announcement of large wheat ship
ment to Japan sent from a Pacific port
lends interest to some figures which the
treasury bureau of statistics has prepared
regarding the growing demand for Ameri-
can foodstuffs and manufactures In the
orient. Nearly Sc, 00O, 600 worth of our flour
went to the orient last year. against about
81, 100000 worth in the preceding year, and
nearly all of it to China, Japan and Asiatic
Russia, the large proportion of that which
reached China passing through Hong Kong.
to which 1t accredited in our export
statements. Shipments of breadstuffs in
the form of wheat to the orient, however,
have been in the past rare, and the large
shipment of wheat just announced shows
the growing demand for our breddstuffs in
that section of the world, which buys an
nually $1,000 600 worth of goods, and
which has been in the past taking less than
6 per cent of its purchases from the United
States.
Greatest Growth in Oriental Trade.
That our sales to the orient are rapidly
growing, however, is shown by the latest
export statistics. They show that while
there has been a continued growth in our
exports during the past fiscal year, by far
the largest percentage Of growth has been
in our trade with the orient To Europe
our exports during the eight months ending
W
compared with the corresponding mont his
of the preceung fiscal year; to South Amer
lea, per cent; to North America 1873 per
cent; to Asia, rs per cent; to Oceauia, 81
per cent or to Asia and Oceania combined.
A per cent: while to Africa there was a
slight reduction owing to the disarrange-
ment of commercial conditions there by
reason OF hostilities Taking our exports
as whole. it is found that the increase
during the eight months has been per
cent, while. as already indicate the in
crease to Asia and Oceania has been al per
cent
This increase in our sales to the orient
occurs in every country classified under
the head of Asia and Occania: to China
the increase being from S9.247 73S in the
eight months ending with February. 1899 TO
Sln,'sI.lSJ in the eight months ending with
February. 1900: to the British East Indies
from $2.Si5196 to S3,124, 1863: to Hong Kong
from 81. I32.o12 to s.. 1876 l62: British Aus
traha from $l2.525. $50 to SIT .g99. 4o3: to the
Hawaiian Islands from $5.Gos. 600 to sSJ46,-
S:E'. and to Japan from $10.Jkj.Sli in the
eight months ending with February, 1880
to SlS,"4l,1I9 in the eight months ending
with February. 1870
This phenomenal increase in our expor-
tations TO the orient. and especially to ia
pan, is the more surprising because of re-
cent information from Japan which shows
iEat the general impOrtatiOns Of that colln-
try have been greatly decreased under its
new tariff, which is mildly protective. The
total imports of Japan in the year 1899 were
20 cd yen. against 2T7 ,5o2 1J7 yen in
the preceding year. the value of the yen
being i9.S cents. Thus it is seen that while
Japan is decreasing her general imports, she
continues to rapidly increase her imports
from the United States