Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-07-08
TRADE WITH PORTO RICO
GREATLY INCREASED SHIPMENTS TO
THE ISLAND.
Have Advanced Nearly Three Hum
dred Per Cent, While Imports Have
Grown IS Per Cent.

The prompt action of the Porto Rican leg
islature in notifying the President that tar
III revenue between Porto Rico and the
United States is no longer required to meet
the expenses Of the island and requesting
that all tariff between the island and the
United States be Immediately abolished In
accordance 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 tarin
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
of two years, unless the Porto Rican legis-
lature should sooner than that time notify
the President that II had made provision
for local taxation to meet the necessities
of the government OF Porto Rico, where
upon all tariff between the island and the
United States and that island should be
abolished. This notification, according 70
the press dispatches from Porto Rico, has
been duly made by the legislature, the act
signed by Governor Allen and the Presi~
dent requested to abolish all customs du-
ties on goods passing from the United
States into Porto Rico or from Porto Rico
into the United States on July Is. 1891. as
authorized by the act above referred to.
Trade with Porto Rico.
The increase in commerce between Porto
Rico and the United States which has fol-
lowed the Porto Rican act, by which SIS 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 /, $780, and the figures for
the month OF April, 1901. therefore. include
the first year of commerce between Porto
Rico and the United States under this act.
In that year the imports from Porto Rico
into the United States were S3,s2i, ALB,
against S2.21s.273 in the corresponding
twelve months of 1s99-19o0 and s. 15L115
in the corresponding twelve months OF
1S97-9S, an Increase of over 80 per cent as
compared with the twelve months ending
April 80, 1898, when the island was under
Spanish control. In exports from the
United States to Porto Rico the increase is
still more strongly marked. the exports to
that island during the first year under the
Porto Rican act being Si,ls9o3l, against
$3,1i9.940 in the corresponding twelve
months ending with April. 1900. and $685.
627 in the corresponding twelve months
ending with April, 1S9S-an increase OF
nearly 300 per cent.
To sum UP the developments OF trade be-
tween Porto Rico and the United States
since the Porto Rican act abolishing So per
cent of the tariff rates between that island
and the United States went Into effect, as
compared with conditions before the begin
ming of the war with Spain, II may be said
that imports from Porto Rico have in
creased 80 per cent and exports to that
island have increased nearly 800 per cent.
How far the abolition of the rem aiming Is
per cent of the Dingley tariff rates and the
establishment of absolute free trade be-
tween Porto Rico and the United States
will further stimulate the commerce be-
tween the island and the ports in the
United States only be determined 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 70
per cent of the exports from that island
are to the United States.
The following tables show the exports
from the United States TO and imports into
the United States from Porto Rico in tho
first year under the Porto Rican tariff act
compared with the year Immediately pre-
ceding, when the island was under the
United States flag, and with the year
1878. in which IL was under the Spanish
flag:
COMMERCE BETWEEN PORTO RICO AND THE
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