The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1902-02-12
SOME TRADE FACTS.
Proportion of South American Com.
merce Held by United States.
While Trade with Countries on Car
ihbean Sea i. Fairly Satisfactory
That with Countries Farther
South Is Very Poor Indeed.

The recent departure from Wash
ington of the special train carrying
the United States and numerous
other delegates to the approaching
Pan-American conference to be held
at the City Of Mexico lends especial
interest to some figures on the COM
merce of the United States with the
territory at the south. which the
treasury bureau Of statistics has COM
piled for the convenience Of the
United States members of that con-
gress. The Importance of develop
ment of our commerce in this partic-
ular direction is pointed out by this
publication, which shows that our
exports have shown less growth to
the countries of Central and South
America than to any other parts OF
the world.
The commerce of the United
States with the American countries
lying south of her borders" says
the opening page of this discussion,
has long been an object OF solicitude
to her statesmen, economists and
business men. With the English
speaking people of American terri
tory lying upon the north her COM
mercial relations have rapidly grown
and proven mutually satisfactory.
With those of another language, oc-
cupyng the contiguous territory at
the south, the growth has been slow
er and less satisfactory, and as the
distance increases the growth de-
creases. To British North America
the United States supplies SO per cent.
of the total imports for consumption;
to Mexico, equally adjacent, but
speaking another language than our
own, 40 per cent; to the Central
American states, next removed by
distance, though readily reached by
water and now being tapped by rail-
ways, 35 per cent; to Colombia, q
trifle father removed, but equally &C
cessible by direct water communica-
ton, 33 per cent; to Venezuela,
equally accessible, 27 per cent; 10
the West Indies. which lie in close
proximity. but which have been up
to the present time controlled by
commercial nations whose policy IN
many cases has been to retain their
commerce for their own people, DO
per cent; to the Guianas, also-readi-
ly reached by water, 25 per cent. Of
the imports of British Guiana, II
per cent. of those of Dutch Guiana
and but less than s per cent. Of those
of French GuiaI2.
"Up to this point the study Of the
growth OF commerce between the
United States and other American
countries is fairly satisfactory. Be-
ginning with 50 per cent. Of the i'm
port trade of Canada. 40 per. cent.
Of that Of Mexico, and ranging down
ward along the Gulf of Mexico and
Caribbean sea. fairly satisfactory
share of the commerce of those coun-
tries is enjoyed by the people of the
United States; though it will be con-
ccdsd that her people have right
to expect a larger share of the CON-
merce of the countries lying SO near
at hand. especially in view Of the fact
that our purchases from them are
much larger than our sales to them.
Even this somewhat unsatisfactory
condition Of trade with the countries
bordering upon the Gulf of Mexico
and the Caribbean sea is, however,
gratifying when compared with the
traffic relations of the United States
with the countries of South America
bordering upon the Atlantic and Pa
cifc oceans. Of the total imports of
all South America, 81 per cent. is
taken by the countries bordering
upon the two oceans, and but 13 per
cent. by those upon the Caribbean.
On the eastern coast Of South Amer
lea we find Brazil importing in 1899
goods to the value of over sos, 100000,
Of which the United States supplied
about 10 per cent; Uruguay and Par
aguay, S26.9G0,000, of which our share
was less than per cent; and Ar
gentine, 1i2.0GG.0G0, of which about
10 per cent. was from the United
States; while a tour of the Pacific
coast shows imports into Chill of $751;
100000. Peru $S.5N0,oO0. Bolivia SILL
100000 and Ecuador S7,000,000; the
proportion from the United States
averaging about 10 per cent. Thus
the northern coast OF South America,
fronting on the Caribbean sea, i'm
ports goods to the value Of S26, ,o00,-
COO. OF which we supply an average of
25 per cent; the eastern coast, 'front.'
ing upon the Atlantic, S275, 100000,
and the Pacific coast, S60,00o,000; of
which our proportion is in each case
about 10 Der cent