The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-03-14
UNITED STATES|S
USING TW0-THIRDS
OF RUBBER SUPPLY
Now Getting Rubber Sup.
ply From Every Country
in the World to Meet
Demand.

| Inc OHlCou CCdIcS Is III" SOAAouAA-
| ing nearly two thirds of the worlds
india rubber. A compilation by the
| National City Bank Of New York
shows that the exports Of rubber
from the various producing areas Of
the world in 1916 were approximately
443,OO0,O00 pounds, while the United
States in that year imported 27O,OOO,-
900 pounds, or 81 per cent. of the to-
tai quantity entering international
trade.
This indicates a rapid growth In the
share which the United States is talk
ing Of the worlds rubber despite the
fact that the output has increased
with phenomenal rapidity in recent
years. In 1913, the year before the
war, our imports of rubber were ap-
proximately so per cent, or the
worlds marketed supply, the exports
of rubber producing countries In that
yeah having been 100000 pounds,
and our own imports 116,000,0O0
pounds World exports of rubber in
creased in quantity just 100 per cent
in the four years from 1912 to 1916,
while the imports Of the United States
increased 129 per cent. in the same
period.
This enormous increase in the
worlds rubber supply has come en-
tirely from the rubber plantations Of
the Orient, while the forest product
has declined meantime. The quantity
exported from the Oriental countries,
in which rubber is produced exclu-
sively on plantations and not as for
est product, was in 1912, but 1888
tons, and in 1916, 10000 tons. while
the forest products entering 1nterna-
tiona1 trade were: from Brazil in 1912
42,410 tons, and in 1916 $4,000 tons;
other countries supplying rubber from
forests $4,000 tons in 1912 and 49,
900 tons in 1915. The exports Of
plantation rubber in the four years
ending with 1915 thus increased over
400 per cent, while those Of rubber
produced from forests decreased 80
per cent OF our own importations in
1912 only about 100000 pounds
originated in the Orient, while in 1916
about 200,000,000 pounds was Orien-
tai.
This large increase in world pro-
duction Of rubber, a gain Of 100 per
cent in four years, has apparently
prevented the increase in price which
has characterized many, other natur-
al products. The export price of the
rubber sent to the United States av-
eraged in 1910 over $1.00 per pound,
in 1911 SO cents, in 1912 "a cents,
1913 Sc cents, 1914 and 1915 so cents,
and in 1916 So cents per pound, these
prices being those at which the rub
Der was exported from the country of
production, and therefore not fnclud-
ing the cost Of transportation to the
United States. The average export
price Of plantation rubber direct from
the East Indies in 1916 was "a cents
per pound, that from Brazil SO cents.
A billion dollars worth Of crude
rubber has been imported into the
United States in the last dozen years,
and $200,000,000 worth of rubber
manufactures exported in the same
period. Our expectation of rubber
manufactures produced in the United
States grew from approximately
$500, 100000 in 1910 to $500, 900, 900
IN 1914, the value Of all rubber manu-
features in the country being about
three times as much as that Of the
rubber imported in the corresponding
year. The capital now invested in the
rubber manufacturing industries in
the United States is over 100000, 900.
The value of the crude. rubber i'm
was $3.50, 100000, and of other gums
used as substitute for rubber about
100000; this total of $165,00O,O0O
of rubber and substitutes therefore
imported being greater than that of
any preceding year, despite the fact
that the imported price per pound of
1916 was but little more than one
half that of certain earlier years.
Plantations now supply about three
fourths of the worlds rubber output
and are rapidly increasing their share
Of the worlds rubber supply. The
plantations are, stated in order of the
share which them supply of the
worlds output, the Malayan PENN
sula, the Dutch East Indies, Borneo.
Ceylon, Burma and India The for
est supplies Of rubber are chiefly from
Brazil, but smaller quantities from
other South American countries and
from the Congo valley in Africa.
About 81 per cent. Of the worlds
rubber output is at present consumed
in the United States, 10 per cent in
Great Britain, and 8 per cent. in
France