Evening star., 1901-07-05
P PORTO RICO'Ss TRADE
DECLARATION OF THE LEGISLATIVE
MADE YESTERDAY
Free Trade to Take Effect July 25-
Some Interesting Statistics
Given.

1he action OF the legislature OF Porto
Rico yesterday in declaring free trade with
the United States, to take effect July Is
attracts attention to the commercial rela-
tlons of the island with this country. The
Porto Rican legislature acted under author
ity OF section Of the Foraker bill. pro-
Vioing civil government for Porto Rico
Wnich took effect May l, 1900. That Sec
tion provided as follows:
And whenever the legislative assembly
or Porto Rico shall have enacted and put
INTO operation system Of local taxation to
meet the necessities OF the government of
Porto Rico by this act established. and
shall by resolution, duly passed, so notify
the President, he shall make proclamation
thereof, and thereupon all tariff duties on
merchandise and articles going into Porto
Rico from the United States or coming into
the United States from Porto Rico shall
cease, and from and after such date all
such merchandise and articles shall be
entered at the several ports Of entry free
OF duty"
The Presidents Duty.
From the language of the act therefore,
II would seem that it Is obligatory upon
the President to abolish all customs duties
upon this trade after July 25. 1t is well
known, of course, that since the passage
OF the Foraker act there has been levied
and collected upon all merchandise enter
ing the United States from Porto Rico a
outy or 10 per cent of the general duties
imposed by the Dingley tariff act There
mas also been collected upon products of
TINS country entering Porto Rico similar
outy. Merchandise entering Porto Rico
from foreign countries has paid the same
duties that the goods would pay if brought
into the United States
for the ten months ending in Auril. 1901
our 6otaI exports to Porto Rico amounted
TO s2,2I.lls. For the ten months ending
AApril, 1901, the exports had increased to
S56l1.553. showing the expansion of Amer
lean trade in the island
During the ten months ending April, 1900
the Porto Ricans shipped to this country
goods. free and dutiable, amounting to
Si56,29l. In the same period of the follow
Ing year their trade with US increased to
S3,5o5,2S9. This is considered a most graf
lfylng showing and promising greatly in
creased trade relations with the island
Porto Rfcans' Purchases.
For the ten months ending April. 1901,
we sent to Porto Rico breadstuffs to the
value of $751; 30, chemicals and drugs val
ued at S11,45S and coal to the value of
$40, 1876. The Porto Ricans took nearly
$1.0o00o0 worth of cotton cloth and $780,
600 of other textiles They bought s225 600
worth of fish. 1885,, 600 of iron and steel,
nearly $S00,000 worth of provisions COM
prising meat and dairy products In man
ufactures of wood their purchases amount
ed to S2o5.000. They also took leather
goods, malt liquors, oils, paper, distilled
spirits, soap, vegetables and miscellaneous
articles to the extent Of about So, 500 600
All of this trade was carried in American
vessels.
The principal exports Of Porto Rico to
the United States In the ten months end
ing April, 1901. were as follows: Sugar
81 2,S12sS6; molasses, S155O0O; leaf tobacco
S11sNO; manufactured tobacco, S20s 600;
fruit, $4,000; hides $32, ,OOO and miscellane-
Gus articles, SCI 600.
1t appears that Porto Rico has been do
ing some business with foreign countries
In the nine months ending March, 1901,
she bought about 81 800. coo worth of goods
from other countries. With free trade with
the United States this country will proba-
bly, get the bulk Of the business.