Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1911-06-17
Tea. Cocoa and Coffee.

Larger imports of tea and cacao and
smaller imports of coffee accompanied
the higher prices which characterized
the coffee import trade of 1911. Pres
ent indications are that the importa-
tions of both tea and cacao in the fiscal
year 1911 will be the largest in the his
tory of the import trade, since the eight
months record for which the bureau of
statistics of the department of com.
meree and labor has figures shows in
each case larger quantities imported
than in the corresponding eight months
of the fiscal year in which they made
their respective high records. Tea made
its highest record of importations in
the fiscal year 1909, the total imports
for that year being 115,000,000 pounds;
but as the imports of the eight months
ending with February, 1911, are slightly
in excess of the corresponding months
of 1909, it seems probable that the full
fiscal year of 1911 will break all records
in tea importations. Cacao is also max
ing this year its highest record in inn
portations, the quantity imported in the
eight months ending with February,
1911, being materially greater than that
of the corresponding months of the
prior high record year, 1909. The total
imports of crude cocoa or cacao, includ-
ing shells, in the fiscal year 1909 was
3O,000,000 pounds; but as the figures
for the eight months of 1911 exceeded
by 1, 100000 pounds those of the cor
responding months of 1909, it may be
assumed that the fiscal year 1911 will
be a record breaker in imports of cocoa
and caeao as well as in the imports of
tea.
Meantime coffee, which has shown a
higher average import price in the fiscal
year 1911 than in any other year since
1897, shows a marked decline in the
quantity imported, the amount brought
into the country in the eight months
ending with February, 1911, being but
644,OOO,O0O pounds, against 744 100000
in the corresponding months Of 1909.
To what extent this increase in the
impoTtations of tea and cacao and the
decline in the importations of coffee are
due to the high price of coffee cannot
be definitely stated, though it is a fact
that the import price of coffee averages
much higher in the current fiscal year
than in any previous year running back
more than a decade. The average i'm
port price of coffee in the eight months
of the fiscal year for which figures are
available is slightly under 10 cents pei
pound, against z "a cents per pound il
the corresponding months of last yeal
and 13 cents per pound in the CORE
spending months of the preceding year
The average import price during the
present fiscal year up to March /, 9.9l
cents per pound, is considerably above
, the annual average in any year since
1897, when the average import prize
was Ill cents per pound.
The marked growth in the importa
tion of tea into the United States j
matter oe comparatively recent de
velopment. There were only four year
prior to 1909 in which the total import
: reached as much as 100000 pounds
e then in 1909 the total reached 10000
s 600 pounds, and in the fiscal year 191
{ will probably exceed that amount. i
cocoa or cacao the growth of import
= has been even more strongly marke
than in tea, the total importations o
cocoa and cacao, including shells, hay
: ing grown from 100000 pounds i
a 1890 to 10000, 900 in 1909, and it seem
e probable that for the fiscal year 191
It the total will approximate 100000
pounds.
Tropical America is our chief SQUIRE
of supply of cocoa, though the impol
IS tations include a considerable and RAJ
a idly increasing quantity from Portuga
k which is presumably the product, chief
1t at least, of her African colonies. On
tea importations are chiefly from Japa
y and China, the quantity from Japa
a being about twice as great as that frol
e China.