The Republican journal., 1912-06-20
Automobile Exports.

Automobile Exports.
They will Total $27, 100000 for the Fiscal
Year Ending this Month.
WASHINGTON, D. c., June II, 1912.
Twenty thousand automobiles will be
the export record of the United States
in the fiscal year which ends with the
present month, and their value, includ-
ing parts and accessories, will approx
mate $27,0O0,000. This statement is
necessarily in very round terms, for the
Bureau of Statistics, upon whose figures
the estimate is based, has at present de-
tailed figures covering but 10 months.
They show, however, nearly 1900 auto
mobiles exported to foreign countries in
the 10 months ending with April, valued
at 16 IL million dollars; parts thereof,
Ia million dollars; tires, sent separate
ly from machines under the head of ex-
ports of rubber manufactures, over 2
million, and automobile engines two
thirds of a million dollars, making a
total for the 10 months of practically %
million dollars and fully justifying the
assertion that for the full IL months the
total will approximate and probably ex-
coed $27, 100000 This figure includes
only the exports to foreign countries and
is exclusive of the 900 machines sent to
our nom contiguous territory, valued at
about 81, 500, 900.
This total of $27, 900, 900 worth of auto
mobiles sent out of the country in 1912 is
in marked contrast with the figures OF a
decade ago, 1902, which, by the way,
was the first year in which the Bureau
of Statistics found the exports of auto
mobiles of sufficient Importance to justi-
fly separate record, the total for that
year being little less than 81, 900, 900,
as against $27, 100000 ten years later.
The growth in exports of automobiles
from the United States has been es-
pecially marked during the period since
1905, this growth being coincident with
the expansion of the domestic industry
and corresponding decrease in imports
Of automobiles. Thus in the period from
1899 to 1904 the value of domestic manu-.
features of this class of articles increased
about Is million dollars, from million
dollars in 1899 to 80 million in 1904, an
increase of % million dollars; while in
the period from 1904 to 1909 the value of
the output increased practically 220 mil
lion dollars, from 30 million dollars in
1904 to 249 million in 1909. Accompany
ing this notable growth in production,
the imports of automobiles decreased
from IA million dollars in 1906 and
ga million in 1907 to approximately
1-2 million dollars in 1912.
While France still leads the world in
exports of automobiles, the United
States surpasses that and all other coun-
tries in rapidity of growth of production
and expectation. For example, our own
exports of that class of articles have in
creased from $4,000, 900 in the calendar
year 1908 to nearly S20,000,000 in 1911;
while in the same period those of France
increased from $24, 800, 600 to S31, 700, 600;
those of the United Kingdom, from 81,
600, 600 to SIS, 500, 900; those of Germany,
from So, 900, 600 to Sl1, 200, 600; and those
of Italy, from SIS, 500, 900 to Sc, 100, 900.
Thus in the brief three-year period from
1908 to 1911 there was an absolute gain
of about Sis, 900, 600, or 300 per cent in
exports from the United States; of ST.
800, 900, or over 100 per cent in those
from the United Kingdom; of S., 900, 600,
or 266 per cent in those from Germany;
and Of $500, 900, or slightly more than 10
per cent in those from Italy.
Approximately rs per cent of the auto
mobiles exported from the United States
are shipped to Canada; about 40 per cent
to Europe, chiefly Great Britain; about
20 per cent to British Australia, about
per cent to South America; and smaller
proportions to Mexico, the West Indies,
and various countries in Asia, Oceania,
and Africa. During the 10 months end.
ing with April, the latest period for
which figures of distribution are avail
able in the Bureau of Statistics, Ate
automobiles were exported to the United
Kingdom, 4,424 to Canada. 1904 tc
British Oceania, 1882 to South America,
849 to Asia, and other Oceania; and ], 500
to all other foreign countries. There
were also shipped, during the same
period, 40 automobiles to Hawaii. 34z
to Porto Rico, and II to Alaska.
Of the automobiles imported into the
United States, France supplies about
one-half. OF the 845 machines imported
during the 10 months ending with April,
339 were from France, ITO from the
United Kingdom, lis from Italy. los
from Germany, and 113 from all other
countries.
The fall in export price of automobiles
is an especially striking feature of the
bureau OF StaLlSClcS HgureS. lney
show an average valuation for all auto.
mobiles exported in 1909 of 81, 800 each,
and in 1912, of $3.50, the average export
price in 1912 being thus but little more
than one-half that of 1909. This remark.
able fall in the average valuation of the
automobiles exported is due in part to 8
general reduction in the selling price Of
automobiles during the period in ques'
ton, disposition on the part of manu-.
facturers to reduce the price of the ma
chimes to meet popular demand, but
more, especially to the fact that large
numbers of partially used, or Second.
hand" machines, are in recent years
being exported to Canada, Mexico, and
the West Indies, thus reducing the aver.
age valuation Of the entire number ex-
ported.