The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-01-28
OUR FOREIGN TRADE
IT'S REMARK ABLE GROWTH IN A
CENTURY.
NOW UP IN THE BILLIONS.
PRODUCTS LEAD
ALL OTHERS.

Foreign Trade Increased TO Two
and a Quarter Billions in 1900.
The Balance of Trade Largely in
Our FnvOr--AgricuIturnl Exports
Exceeded Imports by $424, $50, 40
for 1900.
Washington, Jan. 27-Mr. Frank II.
Hitchcock chief of the section of foreign
markets of the agricultural department.
has just issued his annual review of the
trade of the United States In agricultural
products. His report says:
"The fiscal year 1900 brought to a close
a century of marvellous development in
the history of United States commerce.
In 1900. a century ago, the total value of
the merchandise imported and exported
in our trade with foreign countries was
considerably less than a quarter Of b.l-
lion dollars. The value of the goods ex-
changed during the past fiscal year reach
ed nearly two and a quarter billions, far
exceeding all previous records. Since the
opening of the century our commerce
with the rest of the world has increased
more than twelvefod.
1t was chiefly in the export trade that
the enormous growth of the century oc-
Cured Our domestic expo is during 1900
with a recorded value Of 81 go. 1851. were
over forty times as large as In 1900 The
total Imports for 1900, on the other hand,
amounting in value to $S49 911Si. were
less than ten times as large as in 1900.
Compared with the value of our imports
for 1900, that of our domestic exports
showed an excess of $500 S22, ,3S7.
OF the merchandise imported from other
countries during the fiscal year 1900, about
40 per cent. consisted of agricultural pro-
ducts. These products had an aggregate
value of $40, 1856 3Si, exceeding by almost
$65 100000 the record of the year before.
Hides, silk and wool we.e c the leading fac
tors in the growth, although vegetable
ibers, sugar and tobacco also showed inn
portant gains, The six items mentioned
contributed nearly $50 OOl,OCO to the in
crease in value.
Products of United States agriculture
were marketed abroad in the fiscal year
1900. to the value of SS446 ,539. forming
about 62 per cent. of the total domestic
exports. With the single exception of
1898, the past year witnessed the largest
annual export trade in farm produce on
record. The value attained came within
$1500O.O00 of the phenomenal figures for
1898, and surpassed those for 1899 by more
than $5OOOO,000. considerable portion of
the increase over 1899 was accounted for
by the higher price of cotton. The exports
of this great staple, although smaller IN
quantity than during the preceding year,
exhibited an advance of nearly $S3.0O0,OW
in value. Aside from cotton, the largest
gains in value were those afforded By
exports of meat products and live stock
Tobacco, fruits and nuts. vegetable oils
oil cake and oil cake meal, dairy products.
and seeds also furnished examples OF in
crease.
The value of our agricultural exports
for 1900 exceeded agricultural imports by
1924 4S0 149. The export value was slight
ly more than double the amount of the
import value.
About 80 per cent of the value of the
agricultural imports of abe United States
for the fiscal year 1900, consisted Of IN
order of value. sugar hides and skins,
coffee, vegetable fibers, wool, fruits and
nuts. tobacco. tea. wines, vegetable oils
and cocoa. These imports and the gain
or loss over 1899 follows Sugar, 4,01S .0S6
$50 pounds: gain, S7,S35,961 pounds and to-
tai gain In value of these imports s.. 2S6,
S54; hides and skins, 345, ,935,77S pounds,
gain, Is, S45, OPS pounds; value gain. $l5.-
947, ,655; coffee 7s7 991 911 pounds; loss, 49,
sS5, 1872; value loss, $2,S07,527 silk, 13,073,7 us
pounds; gain, 1s23, 1856 pounds; value gain,
$l2, $50 1888; vegetable hbers, chiefly sisal
grass. cotton and manila hemp, $34,33 $50;
gain, $9,O21,5l wool 1856 1925, 455 pounds;
gain. 70, 1872. .2i6 pounds (or over 100 per
cent?; value gain, $l1 $685. 039; fruits and
nuts, $19,263. .592; gain, 1856; tobacco, 49,
6l9,627 pounds; gain 5.5S3, 79S pounds; value
gain, 81, 1896, $40; tea. A,S45 l1 pounds; gain,
TO- 755, ,2OS; value gain, 1888 ,029; wines, ST.
421, ,495; gain, 1891 ,2S9; vegetable oils, $6,32O
Ill; gain, $1,020,07; cocoa, AZ, ,759, ,2i0 pounds;
gain, $3.50, $50 pounds; value gain. $6i0. 72S.
The average rise in value Of cotton
during the year was 1.S cents a pound;
and loss in tobacco 81 cents pound.
Principal agricultural exports were
breadstuffs, cotton, and meat products.
Exports of breadstuffs during 1900, al.
though far exceeding in value the aver
age for preceding years, show a slight
falling off from 1898 and 1899, the exports
for 1898 being the largest or record. The
shipments during 1900 were valued -
S262, IA, ,O78, or ,621 less than the fig
ures returned for 1899 For the first time
in the history of the trade the total ex
port value of corn exceeded that of wheat
In both quantity and value our exports of
Indian corn for 1900 were the largest ever
reported. amounting to 209, ,34S.2s4 bushels,
worth $500 400.
The amount of American cotton supplied
to the foreign countries during 1900 was
somewhat less than In the preceding year.
the export record being 3.126, ,225. .5sS pounds
or a falling Off Of 66l .493 534 pounds from
1899. owing to an advance IN the average
yearly export price from SIS cents per
pound TO 7.8 cents per pound, however
the total value of the shipments showed
an increase from $40 in 1899 to S242,-
9S8 97S in 1900.
The expectation Of meat product reach
ed sl73 Isl Al thus surprising all previous
records. The principal gain was in beef
products.
Hog products exported fell off 140 0241 179
in quantity. and $3,0l9,926 as re-
CARDS value. mainly in bacon and lard
The shipments OF salted or picked pork
declined IN quantity, but slightly increased
IN value.
Oleo oil formed the next most important
item under the hear OF meat produc g.
The exports OF oleo oil for 1900 showed a
increase In both quantity and
value.
Exports OF other leading articles make
the following showing:
Live stock $i3.5S50Sl, gain over 1899, S5.-
7O4, us; tobacco Sz9422.S7l, gain 50 955, i53
oil cake and oil cake meal 1881 .723, 800
pounds. gain $3.50, l67 pounds and S2,257,
537 in value over the exceptionally good
previous year; vegetable oils Si6,3l5,05s,
gain S2,537.72i Of which Si4,l27,5SS with a
gain Of s2,050ol9 was In cotton seed oili