The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1903-08-13
AMERICAN SUGAR IMPoRTATIoNs.

| AMERICAN SUGAR lMPORTATlONS.
More than five billion pounds Of su-
Igar. valued at over one hundred mil
lion dollars, was brought into the
United States in the fiscal year just
ended. This is a larger Importation
of sugar than at any preceding year
in the history of the country, and the
value is greater than in any preceding
year except the importations of 1891,
1893 and 1894. These figures include the
sugar brought TO the mainland from
Porto Rico and the Hawaiian Islands;
and while the figures of the shipments
from Porto Rico and the Hawaiian ISL
ands are not included in the official
statement of imports, they are prop
erly included in the statement to show
the quantity of sugar coming into the
United States. The total number of
pounds of sugar brought into the
United States during the year was, as
shown by the records of the Depart
ment of Commerce and Labor through
it's Bureau of Statistics, 5,217, or, O34,
while in no earlier year in the history
of the country has the importation of
The largest Importation in any earlier
year was that of 1897, when the total
was 4,91S. 9O5, 733 pounds. Adding to the
enormous Importation of 1908 six hun
dred million pounds as the domestic
production. would give total supply of
5,s17. 100000 pounds for the year, or suf-
ficient TO furnish an average of seven
ty-two pounds for each individual in
the United States. estimating the pres
ent population at eighty millions.
The record of sugar importations for
the year differs materially in certain
aspects from that OF earlier years. The
total importation of beet sugar dur
ing the year was only eighty-seven
million pounds, against two hundred
1902 and nine hundred and eight mil
lions in the fiscal year 1901. Cane su-
gar Of course composed the remainder,
and the cane sugar importations of the |
fiscal year. exclusive of that brought
from Porto Rico and the Hawaiian |
Islands, amounted 20 4.O75, OOO, 900 !
pounds against 2,6s5, 200, 600 in the fscafl
year 1902. and 2s56, 100000 in 1871. |
From Porto Rico the total Sugar I
brought into the United States amount
ed TO 226.143. sos pounds, valued at 81
1869. and from the Hawaiian Islands. |
fI4.S25,l2O pounds, valued at S25, SO, 6S4. |
Thus, the total quantity of sugar sup |
pied by Porto Rico and the Hawaiian
Islands amounted to one billion pounds |
or about one-fifth of the total brought |
into the country. its value being nearly |
thirty-three million dollars.
Another marked characteristic of the
years production of sugar is the fact |
that the price of sugar brought from
foreign countries has averaged lower
than in any preceding year. The Off
cial statements of the Bureau of Statis-
tics have for many years shown the
average cost per pound in foreign
country of the sugar imported. This
average cost was in 1872 and 1873 over
five cents per pound. From that period
it ranged downward, averaging four
and a fraction cents per pound, until |
1888 when the cost first fell below four
cents. being in 1884, SO cents per pound. |
From that date forward it ranged |
in some years falling below |
three cents per pound. the figure for |
1894 being 90 cents as the years aver
age rate of cost. By 1901 the movement |
was still slowly downward. the aver
age rate for 1901 being % cents Der
pound, while in 1902 the average cost
was 1.s2 cents per pound, and in the
iscal year just ended the average cost
in the country of production of the
sugar imported from foreign countries
was III cents per pound, which is
over than in any preceding year.
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