Omaha daily bee., 1902-08-09
STEEL EXPORTS DECREASE
On the Other Hand ImportatiOns Into
United States Show Heavy Increase.
REAsONs AssIeNLD FOR 1HI cAANeL
Active American Demand and Attend
ant nigh Prices Aecempanfed by
Low Prices ana staGna-
hon Abroad


ttTom a STAN correspondent
WASHINGTON. Aug. s.-(special.)-An
increase Of $40. 600, 900 In imports Of iron
and steel manufactures and a decrease OF
$40. 1000 600 in the EXPORTS Of that class Of
articles, ls the most striking characteristic
Of the commerce Of the year just ended
The total imports Of iron and steel manu-
features in the fiscal year INST ended we're
s27, 1S0, 1855 in value against lI7.s74, 1850 IN
the preceding year. while the exports Of
iron and steel manufactured wer6 ,Sss, $751;
5s2 against Sill, s1e,seos IN the preceding
year. This makes the importa Of the year
larger than those Of apyfspfecedlng year
since 1898. This subject he discussed as
follows IN the annua report OF the chief
Of the Bureau OF Statistics, Just completed;
The NEST remarkable feature in the
years commerce in manufactures mas Deen
that which relates to the movement in the
class Of manufacturer the exports have
fallen of y1s,0O0.0Oo in round hgures and
many years prior TO 1sM the exports OF
while Imports had Steadily dsereased TX.
Increased from s12,oOO000 in value IN 1sSo
to So, 600, 0Q0 In 1900 while imports Of iron
to sl2,O0O.0oo in 1893. In 1901. however, the
exports of iron and steel fell to $fll,0Q0,O0o
and in 1901 to So. eOo.o 900. while the imgorts
W - vi 0ANA ~ 80 " N@pfNNvfNNN -
1900 and to t27,000,000 in 1902 Thus the ex-
ports OF iron and s Ns III In the nsSal year
1900 and the imports OF iron and steel are
$1s.000,00 above those Of 1899, the total inn
ports Of iron and steel for the year 1903
This Increase in imports OF IRON and steel
has been general, practically every class
1907 than IN 1891. Tin plate, for example,
shows an increase of over 100000. ingots,
blooms and bsrs, over $4,000. pig Iron
over 1,0O0,O00 and other classes IN about
the same proportion.
Cause Of the changes.
The cause OF the remarkable increase in
imports and decrease in exports OF iron
and steel Is stated by the secretary Of the
Iron and Steel association, Mr. James NJ.
Swank, In his annuak report issued In 1902,
as follows:
A marked change has taken place In our
foreign trade In Iron and steel since this
subject was prominently referred 10 In our
annual reports In 1899 and 1900 In 1888 and
Immediately preceding years the iron and
steel industries in. Europe were exceptions
ally prosperous; there was an active. de-
mand and prices we're high. In the years
Just prior TO 1893 the prices OF iron and
steel In the United States were lower than
tney had ever been, Under these condi-
tons we naturally found opportunities to
dispose OF our surplus iron and steel pro-
ducts In neutral markets and even in the
home markets of our European competi-
tors But these conditions have materially
changedi the European demand and Euro
pean prices have declined and the home
demand uDon our own Iron and steel works
has greatly increased, while our prices
In neutral and all foreign markets and IN
creased foreign competition fn our own
markets. The figures OF increased imports
should not be hastily dismissed by our Iron
and steel manufacturers. We hope that
they will lead them, instead, TO dismiss
the thought that the worlds markets for
held. The activity IN our export trade in
Iron and steeltin the last few years was
aHcopslonsl q tabhcrfaaA Not only is
menufacture. but 1t will always have cheap
labor. and by these. agencies II can hold
lts 2wn markets and actively and aggrds-
sive!y contend for the possession of neutral
markets. For our iron and steel Industries.
as well as for all other domestic manufac-
turing industries, our home market must
always be our best market 3H
II seems not improper to add to the above
statement OF the causes Of reduction in
exports of iron and steel that one of the
markets seems likely to terminate in Ire
near future. These reductions In prices
were, II h stated on good authority, due
and steel manufactures from Germany.
made at unusually low prices with the
purpose OF dlsposing OF an Accumulated
reduced home demand due to the recent
temporary depression existing IN the in
d~ustries, OF that country. This surplus
having been largeiy disposed OF and the
depression having Apparently passed its
most acute stage. Il Is believed that the
exports OF iron and steel from erma
will soon resume normal conditions. both
as to quantity and prices, and that with
this. one OF the important causes OF the
REDUCTION In prices oti Iron. end steel manu-
lectures IN the foreign markets viii dis
expOr trade be resumed.