The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-07-08
Imports from the Island to the United
States Also Gained, the Increase
Being S5 Per Cent.
OUR AGRICULTURAL EXPORTS
GREAT BRITAIN AND GERMANY ARE
AMERICAS BEST CUSTOMERS.
Last Year the United Kingdom Took
ucts and Germany S134,OOO,Oo0.
Special to the Indianapolis Journal.

Special to the Indianapolis Journal
WASHINGTON, July THE prompt &C
ton OF the Porto Rican Legislature in no.
tifying the President that tariff revenue
between Porto Rico and the United States
is no longer required TO meet the expenses
OF the island, and requesting that all tar
iff between the island and the United
States be Immediately abolished in ac-
cordance with the provisions of the Porto
Rican act lends especial interest to some
figures just prepared by the Treasury Bu-
reau of Statistics regarding the commerce
between Porto Rico and the United States
since the Porto Rican act went into effect.
The Porto Rican act, which, 1t will be
remembered. went into effect May /, 1900,
provided that the United States tariff
should apply in Porto Rico as against all
countries except the United States, and
that the tariff rates between the United
States and Porto Rico should be Is per
cent. of the regular tariff rates for term
o. two years, unless the Porto Rican Legis-
lature should sooner than that time notify
the President that it had made provision
for local taxation TO meet the necessities
of the government of Porto Rico, where
upon all tariff between the United
States and that island should be
abolished. This notification, according TO
the press dispatches from Porto Rico, has
been duly made by the Legislature. the
act signed by Governor Allen. and the
President requested to abolish all customs
duties on goods passing from the United
States into Porto Rico or from Porto Rico
into the United States. on July rs, 1901, as
authorized by the act above referred to.
H., hnrxx 20
and the United States which has followed
the Porto Rican act, by which S5 per cent.
of the tariff between Porto Rico and the
United States was removed, has been very
great, especially in exports from the
United States to Porto Rico. The act
went into effect May i. 1906, and the fig
ures for the month of April, 1901, therefore
conclude the first year of commerce be-
tween Porto Rico and the United States
Under this act In that year the imports
from Porto Rico into the United States
were $3,s2 ,4lS. against $2,2lS.273 in the cor
responding twelve months of lS99-l%O and
81, lol 175 in the corresponding twelve
months of 1s97-lS9S-an increase of over
70 per cent, as compared with the twelve
months ending April 80, 1888, when the
island was under Spanish control. In ex-
ports from the United States to Porto
Rico the increase is still more strongly
marked the exports TO that island during
The frSt year unCer the Porto Ricdn act
being s7l99,031, against SO, 1l9 $40 in the cor
responding twelve months ending with
April, 1900, and 81, ,S5662l in the correspond
ing twelve months ending with April, 1898
AN increase of nearly 800 per cent.
To sum up the Developments of trade be-
tween Porto Rico and the United States
since the Porto Rican act abolishing 50
per cent. of the tariff rates between that
island and the United States went into
effect, as compared with conditions be-
lore the beginning of the with Spain.
it may be said that imports from Porto
Rico nave increased 70 per cent and eX-
ports to that island have increased nearly
500 per cent. How far the abolition of the
remaining Is per cent. of the Dingley tar
III rates and the establishment of abso-
Lutte free trade between Porto Rico and
the United States will further stimulate
the commerce between the island and the
ports in the United States can only be de-
termined by future developments. The
latest figures of the Bureau of Statistics
show that about so per cent. of the imports
OF Porto Rico are now from the United
States and about 75 per cent of the ex-
ports from that island are to the United
States.
The following tables show the exports
from the United States to, and imports in
to the United States from Porto Rico in
the first year under the Porto Rican tariff
act compared with the year Immediately
preceding when the island was under the
United States flag, and with the year 1878
in which it was under the Spanish flag: