Norwich bulletin., 1918-11-15
GREAT INCREASE IN TRANS
 PACIFIC TRADE OF THE u. &.

Trade across the Pacific is now re- ceiving special attention of those ten- gagged in our foreign commerce, Whether this is due to the dangers of navigation on the Atlantic or the with drawal of vessels on the eastern front age for war service, it is at least cer- tain that practically all gains in trade now being officially reported occur on the Pacific frontage. A compilation by the National City bank of New York shows that exports by way of the Pacific coast ports in the seven months ending with July, 1918, show an in- crease of 70 per cent when compared with the corresponding months of 1917, while those of the Atlantic ports show a reduction of about 14 per cent, and those. of the northern border ports a loss of ' per cent. In the imports the gains of the Pacific ports are also striking, showing, an advance of about 30 per cent. over last year, while those of the Atlantic show a fall of about per cent, and those of the border ports are unchanged, The only frontage which shares the gain, of the Pacific coast is that of the Gulf of Mexico, which shows a gain of 20 per cent. in exports but a slight decline in inn ports, while the Mexican border ports also show a slight gain in both inn ports and exports.
 Whether any considerable part of this gain in the business of the Pacific is due to a mere disposition of com merce to keep away from the areas infested by the submarines can be bet ter determined by a study of the trade with the principal countries and grand divisions. In the trade of the United States with Europe, the figures show an actual fall off in imports and ex- ports. In the trade with South Amer ica the imports show marked de- cline, but the exports a slight in- crease, while in the trade with Asia and Oceania, both imports and exports show startling gains. The recorded exports to Europe in the seven months are but s, POS, 900, 900 as against $2,460,
 100000 in the same months of last
 year, while the imports from that con
 tinent fall from $264000, 900 in the
 the same months of the current year
 To South America the gain in exports
 is S9,000,000 and the fall in imports
 s30, 100000, but to Asia there is gain
 of $34,000,000 in the seven months
 when compared with those of the same
 months of last year, while the imports
 from Asia show gain of $69 900 COG
 for the same comparative period. With
 Oceania conditions are even more
 striking, the exports to Oceania show
 ing gain of S31 100000 in tn seven
 months of 1915 and the emports there
 from an increase of $50,G00. 900 over
 the corresponding period of last year
 Imports from Asia show a gain of 2E per cent. and those from Oceania over 100 per cent, while exports to Asia tzI, .1S to Oceania an increase of over 50 pel cent.
 The chief gains in the trade witt Oceania are with Australia, New Zea- land and the Philippines. Exports tc Australia in the seven months of this year are $44,000, ,000 against $29, ,080, 00t in the same months of last year, anL l to the Philippines 10000 600 against 1 $1 ,000, ,000 in the same months of last year. The imports from Australia 1T the current year are $3s,0o9 900 against 1 less than $10,000. 900 last year; iron 1 New Zealand nearly $11, ,00o, ,o0(
 against s4,000,000 last year, and from
 the Philippines s42 900 900 against 1 so 900 900 in the same months of lasr year.
 1 Tn the commerce with Asia the chie1 gains occur in the trade with Japan Sll1id dlu 1lOId1 IIlS s5dIltS III IHSot GA ports to China being sS. 000. 900, to In
 dia. $S.O00, 900 and to Japan $S5,0O0,
 COG; the increase in the imports iron 1 China $2,000 0o0, from India $7,CO0,- 1 000, from Straits Settlements $40, ,001, | coo, and from Japan $38. .0OG,00o The 1 gain in the imports from Straits Set 1 dement's is apparently due to the fac l'that most of the rubber coming iron 1 that colony is now sent direct by way
 Of the Pacific instead of going by way Of London, since the rubber accredit. 1 cd to Straits Settlements shows al increase of about S30000,000 while ! that from Great Britain shows fal of about $3S, 10000.
 The large increase in the imports
 from Japan occurs in soya bean oil
 silk. tea and rice. while there is also considerable gain in the imports iron i Japanese leased territory in China 1 chiefly in soya bean oil