Omaha daily bee., 1910-05-22
FOREIGN TRADE IN AUTOMOBILES
business in This Country Amounts
to Million Dollars n Month.

TO MILLION Dollars n Month";
The foreign trade of tho United States
in automobiles now amounts to $1,0O0,000
month, or $12,OOO,0OO per annum, of which
sum about $4oOO,OOO are imports and $780,,
900 exports. Ten years ago the trade in
automobiles was not of sufficient value to
justify the bureau Of statistics of the De-
partment of Commerce and Labor in making
a separate record Of either the imports or
exports, the few automobiles entering or
leaving the country being included under
the miscellaneous class Of "all other ar
ticles" In July, 1901. however, the bureau
began to record the exports, which in tho
fiscal year 1902 amounted to about 1000, 900,
and since that time thereof exported to for
eign countries has been in round terms $780,,
OO0, 900, of which s25 100000 has developed in
the five years ending with December, 1909,
with a prospect that the fiscal year 1910
will show. an export record of fully $780,
OOO
In imports the record was not established
until July, 1905, when the total Of automo-
biles and parts thereof imported amounted
to $4,00O0OO, in the fiscal year 1906 and 1907
over $5.OOO.OOO, but falling below that figure
in succeeding years, making the total i'm
portation for the five years ending De-
cember, 1909, for which a record exists,
about s1S0OO,OOO of automobiles and parts
thereof The shipments of automobiles
and parts thereof to Alaska Hawaii and
Porto Rico are S9OOoOOO, making the total
value OF the automobiles passing in and
out OF ports of the United States in the
past five years about A5,OOOOOO.
The imports are chiefly from France,
Italy, Germany and the United Kingdom
and the exports to practically every coun-
try in the world, though the largest num-
Der go to Canada, the United Kingdom,
Mexico and Australia. The number sent to
Canada in the fiscal year 1909 was 1920,
valued at $1,457,12S; to England, 500 ma
chimes, valued at $1.673.914; to France, 2O1
machines valued at $64S.692; to Mexicos, 200
machines, valued at $3.50, 1852, and to Aus
tralia, 127 machines, valued at SS1, 426. The
prices of those sent to European countries
are, as rule, higher than that of the
machines semitic Canada, Mexico and Aus
tralia, the average price Of those sent to
France being over 5000 each, according to
the prices and numbers Of machines re-
ported to the bureau of statistics; those to
England average nearly 5000 apiece; those
to Canada about 81, 200 and Mexico about
1.4OO each, and those to Australia less
than $3.50 each.
The total number of automobiles ex-
ported in the fiscal year Of 1909 was, &C
cording to the bureau of statistics figures
S1S4. valued at $5,SS7O21, an average value
OF about 81, 200 for a machine, and the num-
Der imported 1924. valued at 50. 9O5. Ss1, show
ing also an average Of about 81 ZOO for each
machine The distribution of automobiles
extends to all parts Of the world, the num-
Der of countries named by the bureau OF
statistics as destination of automobiles ex-
ported in the fiscal year 1909 being not less
than fifty. and including India, China
Dutch East indies. Japan Canary Islands,
Egypt, French and British Islands Giber-
alter and Portugal
The figures for the calendar year arc
larger and show also higher prices, the
number of machines exported in the calen-
dar year 1909 being $3.50, and the stated
value being s6,ss9,OS1 an average Of nearly
$780, these figures including only the ship
ments OF machines to foreign countries
and not including the shipments TO
our noncontiguous territory, or the
parts of machines which are included in
the grand total stated below in comparing
our own exports of automobiles with those
OF other countries. France leads the world
as an exporter of automobiles, with the
United States second in rank Statistics
complied from the official publication OF the
countries named show that tho exports OF
vehicles OF this class in the latest year
for which details are at hand were: From
France, in 1908. s24, 10000 the United States.
in tho calendar year 1909. Ss.667,S97; the
United Kingdom. in 1909. S7,e10,267; Italy. in
1905 sS'Sss.OOo; and Germany, in zoos, $sOa1 Co.,