The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1907-03-07
United States Imports as MANY
| Autos as / Exports
COPPER FLOWS IN FROM TWO SIDES
THE GREATEST COTTON PRoDUc.
Err IN THE WORLD WE BUY
$11,ooc, 900 WORTH.

WASHINGTON, March THE ebb
and flow of the commerce of the United
States presents some curious facts
statistical and commercial. These are
the more readily observed by certain
figures compiled by the bureau of sta
tistics of the department of commerce
and labor and made part of it's
monthly summary of commerce and
finance covering the calendar year
1906.
1t is interesting to observe, for eX-
ample, that while the imports of auto
mobiles during the year 1906 amounted
to nearly $5,OO0,0OO in value this figure
was practically offset by the exports
of automobiles, which amounted in
value to $4,4O9,1S6 Curiously, too, OF
this four and a half million dollars
worth of automobiles exported, over one
million dollars worth went to that
greatmanufacturing country, the Unit
ed Kingdom, and practically another
million dollars worth to other manu-
featuring countries of Europe. The
tropical sections of the world, where
horses cannot satisfactorily perform the
service Of local transportation, are al
ready large purchasers of American
automobiles, the total exports of this
class of vehicles to Mexico having been
in 1906, $717,523. against only $780, ASP
in 1905 while the West Indies and Ber-
muda took $241, 900 worth, South Anne
RIGA $4,000, Australia nearly 100000
and even the British East Indies 1884,
Ill worth.
Another curious feature of our for
eign commerce is found in the fact
that although the United States pro-
duces one half of the worlds copper
and exports far more than any other
country, it is also one of the largest
importers of that commodity. The value
of copper imported into the United
States in 1906 was over $37 ,000, 900, in
Guiding in this total $6,750,000 worth OF
copper ore, while we were at the same
time exporting over $50 200, 900 worth OF
tie less than 81 100000 worth of copper
ore, of copper ingots nearly sS5,OOO,0OO
and of other copper manufactures be-
tween $4,OO0,O0O and $5,O00,OOO.
This anomaly of the greatest copper
producing country of the world import
ing such large quantities of copper
grows, apparently, out of the fact that
the United States has superior smelling
and refining facilities and that the cop
per from it's immediate neighbors at
the north and south-Canada and Mex
ico-fiows to it's smelling establish
ments and refineries.
Imports Much Cotton.
Another somewhat surprising feature
of our commerce is found in the fact
that the United States, which produces
three-fourths of the worlds cotton, &C
tually imported last year from other
countries nearly $11 900, 900, making the
average importation of cotton into the
greatest cotton producing country In
the world about s1,OOO,0OO worth per
month. The cotton so imported is, how
ever, in most cases, of a different quail
ity from that produced in the United
States, being chiefly Egyptian cotton OF
which the long and silky fiber is utll-
lied in the manufacture Of high grade
cottons and in some cases for mixing
with silk in manufacturing.
Equally remarkable in the line OF
cotton imports is the fact that although
the United States is the great cotton
producing country of the world, and one
of the worlds largest manufacturers
of cotton goods, the importation or cot
ton manufactures in 1906 aggregated IN
round terms s69,O0O,OOO in value, being
more than so per cent in excess OF the
value of cotton manufactures ex-
ported.