New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-02-20
EXPORT TRADE
AT ITS CREST
Falling Off From Record
Figures of January Is
Anticipated
Washinoton, February 10.


American exports totalled S613,44
900 in January, exceeding by nearly
500 ,OOO,O 900 the previous high monthly
record of s521 $780, O4, made in Deem
Der, 1916, according to statement is
sued to-day by the United States Bu-
reau of Foreign and Domestic Com
merce. High prices are responsible for
much of the increased value Of foreign
trade.
Officials of the bureau expressed the
belief to-day that the export trade Tor
the current month will show tremen-
dous decrease as compared with that Of
January, the record month, or Deem
Der. They are of the opinion that this
decrease NAV reach between $150,000,-
600 and S2OO,OOO,O0O. This loss in ex-
port trade is, of course, largely at
tributable to the German submarine
blockade and the unwillingness OF
American vessels to run the risk Of
being destroyed.
Statistics Are Misleading
The loss suffered by American trade
through the blockade will not be re-
fiected wholly in the statistics that
later will be published by the Depart
ment of Commerce. The monthly fig
ures published by the department do
not represent the trade for that par
ticular month, but the statistics COM
piled by the various custom houses
during that month. February totals, to
be made public in March, will include
shipments made during the last ten or
fifteen days of January, and will there
fore fail to show the extent of the loss
suffered by American export trade.
While January export trade showed a
tremendous increase over the previous
month, the import trade also showed a
big iump-from s204, 834,188 in Deem
Der to S241, 674,851. This latter figure
represented an increase of approx
mately s65,000,000 over the import
trade of November last.
Imports Also Make Record
Both imports and exports for Janu-
ary show decided increases over any
previous January in the history oil
American trade.
Adding January's excess exports OF
1871 1866, 1913, the favorable trade bal
ance for the first seven months Of the
current fiscal year totals s2,2oo,oll'-
Sic, bidding fair to reach the s4,Ooo'-
coo, 900 mark before the close of June
The total exports for the seven
months ended January, 1917, were 3d.
614.244, 066, as against s2,182,s9S,752
and 1884 $50, 148, respectively, for the
corresponding periods in 1916 and 1919.
For the twelve months ending January,
1917, the total exports were s5,764 ,82o,-
1879. as against $3,616,827,944 in the
same period in 1916 and s2,l77,436,76O
for a like period in 1915. Total trade
for the years ending January, 1871
1916 and 1915 were $S,2l3,SO6,443, So
457 ,627 ,264 and 1884, l1s,155, respec-
lively. The imports of merchandise
during the seven months ended Janu-
ary, 1917. we're 81 ,232,55O, against
81 ,O97 1877, $40 and 3o,5Os,2S6 for the
corresponding periods in 1916 and 1912
Of the months imports, 74.6l per
cent entered free Of duty. as compared
with 1915 per cent in January, 1870
and 62.54 per cent in January, 1910.
The Influx Of Gold
Gold imports totalled s5s,926,25S in
January, 1917, compared with s16,Oos'-
232 in January, 1916, and s6,S96,39S in
January, 1915. The imports of gold
for the seven months ended January,
1917. totalled s557,937,345, compared
with 1922, O3s,3Se in 1915 and s33,54O,-
III in 1915. The exports of gold in
January, 1917, were s20,719,898, while
the corresponding periods in 1918 and
1915 recorded s1O,213,5l7 and 1903,
respectively. For the seven months
ended January, 1917, gold exports were
sl1O,1O6,668 and in a like period IN