The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1903-09-04
MANUFACTURING IMPORTS.


The manufacturers of the United
States imported nearly five hundred
million dollars worth of materials for
use in manufacturing, in the fiscal year
just ended. Materials for use in man-
ufacturing thus formed nearly one-half
of the total imports of the United
States last year. The Department of
Commerce and Labor through it's Bu-
reau of Statistics, in a table just COM
pleted, shows that the total value CT
manufacturers materials. imported in
the fiscal year 1903 was $4Ss, 471,667, and
that this formed 47.73 per cent of the
total imports. In the preceding year
the total value of the manufacturers
materials imported was four hundred
and fifteen million dollars, and formed
4614 per cent of the total. In 1898 the
total importation of manufacturers
materials was two hundred and forty
seven million dollars, and formed 42O7
per cent of the total.
Going back to earlier dates, it may
be said that manufacturers material
imported aggregated in value, in 1880,
nine million dollars; in 1850, forty-eight
millions; in 1860, ninety-three millions;
in 1870, one hundred and twenty mil
lions; 1880, two hundred and thirty
three millions; 1890, two hundred and
thirty-three millions; in 1900, three hun
dred and eighty millions, and in 1903, as
already indicated, four hundred and
ninety millions. In 1880 manufacturers
materials formed only fifteen per cent
of the total imports; in 1850, twenty
eight per cent; in 1860, twenty-six per
cent; 1870, twenty EIGHT per cent; IN
1890, thirty-four per cent; in 1900, for
ty-five per cent; and in 1903 as already
indicated, nearly forty-eight per cent
of the total imports.
The increase in the importation of
manufacturers materials in the last
year was very large. In raw materials
the increase was practically fifty mil
lion dollars: the figures for 1902 being
three hundred and twenty-seven million
dollars, and those for 1903, three hum
dred and seventy-five millions. In par
TALLY manufactured materials for use
in manufacturing the increase was
twenty-three million dollars; the fig
ures for 1907 being ninety-one millions,
and those for 1903, one hundred and
fourteen millions. In raw materials, in
which the increase was nearly fifty mil
lions, the principal increases were raw
silk, about eight millions: india rub
ber six millions; wool, five millions;
chemicals, nearly seven millions; fibers,
three millions; tin, four millions, ana
copper, over six millions. In the par
TALLY manufactured materials, iron and
steel was the principal factor of in
crease. The total importations of iron
and steel in the last fiscal year ere the
largest in many years, aggregating
over fifty-one million dollars in value,
as against tWenty-SeVen mllllonS IN tne
preceding year; and a very large pro-
portion of the iron and steel imports
was material for use in manufacturing.
Pig iron increased from three millions
to over sixteen millions; scrap iron,
from three-quarters of million dollars
to over two millions; bar iron increased
nearly million dollars; and ingots,
blooms, slabs. billets and bars of steel,
from three and half to nearly ten
millions.
The following table shows the total
value of manufacturers materials i'm
ported at each decennial year from 1920
to 1900, and in 1903, and illustrates in
some degree the increased use by the
of the United States of
materials produced in other parts of
the world:
Imports for Consumption of Manufac-
turers' Materials into the United
States, and Percentage which they
form of the Total