The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1917-02-02
HALF BILLIONS
VALUE OF YEARS
SUGAR BUSINESS
uaited States Exports During
1916 Reach Hundred
Million Dollars
DOMESTIC PRODUCTION is
FIXED AT sl25,ooO,ooo
cnrtailment Of European Beet
Supplies Makes America
Worlds Sugar Center

Z Nearly half billion dollars worth
of sugar passed through the ports of
continental United States in 1916.
About 100000, 900 Of this was raw
sugar from foreign countries, chiefly
Cuba; $l25,00O,000 worth Of raw sugar
from our own islands, and 100000, 900
worth of refined sugar sent out of the
United States, chiefly to Europe.
A compilation by the Foreign Trade
Department Of the National City Bank
of New York shows that the value of
sugar exported from the United States
in the calendar year 1916 was in round
terms $lO0,O00,000 against $4,000, 900
worth in 1916, $l8,000,000 in 1914 and
less than $2,000,000 in 1918, the year
preceding the var.
United States Supplies World
Indeed the United States had never
been an exporter, Of sugar in any con-
siderable quantity until the exigencies
of the war rendered inaccessible the
sugar producing area from which West
ern Europe had been accustomed to
draw its supplies
Germany, Austria Hungary and Russia,
as the worlds great producers of beet
sugar, had met all the sugar require
ment Of the remainder of Europe, but
when their. supplies became no longer
available by reason Of war conditions,
and those Of France and Belgium were
greatly reduced, the remainder of
Europe necessarily turned TO the cane
sugar section Of the world for its
supply.
Europe Depends On America
Cuba, Java, the Hawaiian Islands,
Porto Rico and the Philippines are
the worlds largest producers of cane
sugar for expectation India is large
producer, but has none for exporta.
tion) ,..E. ~. "
AS Java distributes most Of its out.
put to adjacent Asiatic countries, and
Cuba, Porto Rico and Hawaii send
practically all Of their sugar direct TO
the United States, the American
market became the chief source from
which Europe could draw sugar.
Exports Increase Enormously
With the cane producing islands Of
the world exporting most of their pro
iuct in the raw state and America the
refining center Of the trade under war
conditions, the quantity of sugar ex-
ported from the United States in
ireased enormously. &r'' r .|..t =.
Exports jumped from 10000 tons of
efned sugar in 1918, to 1875, 900 tons in
;9l4; to 4Sl 500 tons in 1915 and to APP
,roximately $4,000 tons in 1916. Mean
while the advance in prices put the to-
nj value Of the refined sugar exported
from the United States up to $780,
100000. ,.-.s.. .s.' .I.N ~,
According to the National City Bank
Of New York, compilations show that
he quantity of sugar entering CONT
nental United States during 1916 was:
From Cuba, about :, 100000 tons; from
he Hawaiian Islands, about 625, 900
tons; from Porto Rico, nearly SOC, 900
onsj from tho Philippines, about 1885,
300 tons; while ON mainland fields
here was produced about $4,000 tons
beet sugar and more than 100000 tons
.Rne sugar.
Domestic Use Decreases
Thus the total quantity of sugar han.
llid in the United States, including the
product Of our own fields, that Of our
Jwn Islands, and that brought from for
Sign countries, was about 4 S75, 900 tons,
If which about $4,000 tons were ex.
consumption about 100000 tons,
lgainst an average of about 4,250, 900
tons in the year Immediately preceding
he rnT E.M.'."
This slight reauetion in domestic con-
sumption is attributed TO the advance
n prices, materially higher than that
which was considered normal prior 10
he war. ."S "
THIS would bring the consumption in
the United States for 1916 down to an
average Of eighty pounds per capita, as
against eighty-six pounds per capita in
1918 and eighty-nine pounds in 1914,
the high record year in per capita con-
sumption. ttF h s-.
The average per capita consumption
Of sugar in the United States has stead.
ily grown, from tlirty.three pounds per
capita in 1870 to thirty-nine pounds in
1850, ffty-one pounds in 1000, eighty
pounds in 1910, eighty,Dine pounds in
1911, dropping with the advance in
prices to cighty-six pounds per capita
" 1918, aud about eighty pounds in
1910. '."