BoletiÌn mercantil de Puerto Rico. (San Juan, P.R.) 18??-1918, 1902-03-03
Has 0ur Trade Expansion
In Europe Been Checked!

The decline in The amount of our manuf
actured exports to Europe last year has nat
urslly given riFe to the question as to whether
our expansion in European markets has been
checked. The deciding test cannot be that
Of lessened volume of exports for one year,
but must be sought In the character of the
goods sent abroad and the conditions of
competition that had to bs met. Business
depression in Europe has prevented increased
purchases of American goods but In GER
tain lines in which competition was new aud
experimental it is gratifying 10 know that
the results were favorable to the skill OF our
manufacturers The Bureau of Foreign
Commerce at Washington las just issued
an interesting statement on this question.
Behind the foreign trade Fl lures published
quite recently, and which were thought to
prove a real decline, there are explanations
which direct the attention of the reader to
the inost satisfactory sign of permanent
advance, namely, that in certain articles
long spec allied and manufactured exclusive
| ly by certain countries we have entered
the original field successfully. This test
has been met fully by our exports in 1901.
The proofs of this statement are sui.
ficiently interesting to quote from the
document issued by the Bureau of Foreign
OOmmerce
Who would have imagined few years
ago that we would make such rapid prog.
ress in the manufacture of silk that we
would soon cease buying silks from France,
with the exception OF highly finished goods,
and would actually be exporting silks to
that countrJ9 Yet this is what has hap
pened. So of tin plate prOfitably, and it
was confidently asserted that the Welsh
must always control the American trade.
But we now manufacture all the tin plate
we need, and the Welsh have recently i'm
ported tin bars from us. Our cottons are
steadily gaining in taste and finish, and
are now sold in Eogland in competition
,sith the Manchester product In agricul-
ture, as in manufactures, we are constant
ly widening the sphere Of our production.
The orange and lemon growers Of south
ern Europe are feeling the effectof Cali :
fornia's competition. "It is ridiculous,n
says Spanish newspaper, "to think that
fruits and vegetables raised on the slopes
of the distant Pacific should compete at
the very doors of our country -....- Shall
weIive to see American oranges on the
Valencia market itseliw We are producing
our own raisins, our prunes, our wines,
our olive oil, and are sending them abroad.
California prunes now compete in Europe
with Bosnian prunes, once staple export
to New York. II
This testimony given by our consuls
abroad is not suggested by tsbulated returns
and should be known in order that mistaken
judgments about an alleged trade decline
may be rectifsd. From the point Of view
of manufacturing efficiency, therefore, not
to speak of the agricultural exports men.
toned, it is not necessary to show tnat our
IRON and steel and copper exports had de-
clined in order to explsin.a ANY supposed fail
ure to meet increasing competition had been
met in spite of such decline and irrespective
of its causes.
Ii Ia interesting to note one important
fact which seems to have been partly lost |
sight of in regard to trade expansion abroad. |
Foreign opinion seems to have taken for |
granted that the sudden invasion of Euro
pssn markets was the result of a concerted |
attempt, whereas it vas as unexpected by I
ourselves as by those who are new alarmed
by it. 1t resulted from the necessity of get
ting rid of our surplus product, and the
opening gained has naturally been taken
advantage OF in buildingup better organiz.
ed export businesl. But this has only fairly
begun. As result there is 3 mutual mis-
between the United States