The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1918-11-14
FOREIGN COMMERCE OF TIE UNITED STATES IN THE
 CALENDAR YEAR 1918


 next month, the calendar year 1918 Seems likely to make another Thigh record" A compilation by the National City Bank of New York es- timating the trade of the full year based upon the figures thus far avail able puts the total imports at approx imately $3,10O,0OO,O0O and the total experts at approximately $6,200,000,- 900, thus estimating the years total trade at approximately S9,300,000, 900 | against $9,1S5, 100000 in 1917 the former high record year, The excess 1 of exports over imports will approx innate 0,O00,OOO and the aggre- gate excess of exports over imports | for the 4 1-2 years of war will ex- 1 ceed s11, 900, 100000 or more than 1 that of the forty years preceding the i war,
 The trade with Europe shows a 1 heavy fall in imports and a slight de- cline in exports, for Europe has now l little to spare of the class of mer- l chandise which it formerly sent to 1 the United States. The total of inn l ports from Europe for the calendar year 1918 will approximate only $S50, 100000 against $550,00O,00O in l 1917 and 00,000,000 in 1912, Even 1 exports to Europe will show slight l decline when compared with last year, approXimating LOCO, 900 against $4,O54,O0O,00O in 1917, though doubtless the 1918 total would ] exceed that of 1917 if it were possi- 1 bie to include that larage unrecord- ed exeport passing to Europe upon | government vessels, which are not required to Clear at or report to the | Custom Houses as to the quantity, character or value of the merchan- disc which they carry, and the mer- chandise which they carry thus pass es out of the country without inelu- sion in the export figures.
 With all the other grand divisions the 1918 trade will probably show in creases, though the lack of vessels in the trade with South America and Africa has materially reduced the 1 trade with those continents and may bring the total for the full year slightly below that of 1917. From present indications, however, it seems probable that the imports, from South America will approximate $500, 100000 or practically the same
 as last year and that the exports to
 that continent may slightly exceed that of last year and perhaps show a
 total of S325, ,000,000 as against $312,-
 100000 in that same year. In the trade with North America which is not dependent upon ocean shipping,
 the totals show large gains. The inn ports from all of our neighbors of
 this continent and the West Indian Islands seem likely to total about $1,- OOO,OOO,OOO against $872,OOO,OOo in 1917, and the exports to all America approximately oO,OOO,OO0 against
 $1,265, 100000 in 1917.
 The largest proportion of gains in
 the trade, both imports aand exports
 occur in the commerce with Asia from which the imports seem likely 5 to aggregate about $900, 1000, ,00C . against $75S, S,000,000 last year while the exports to that grand division 5 will approximate $45O, 100000 against S43O, ,0OO,0 in 1917. Oceania also
 shows marked increases on both sides
 of the ledger, the imports up to the
 present time suggesting total fol
 the year of $165,O00,O0O against $1OO,. | 900, 900 last year and exports about $150, ,O000 900 against SLY, 7,000,000 las = year.
 The fall off in imports from Flu. >, rope occurs in the trade with p:ac tically every one of the countries O . that grand division. Imports from T Great Britain which aggregated S2S0, 000,0O0 in 1917 seem likely to fall be
 low the O,OOO,O00 line in 1918
 From France which sent us $99,000,
 900 in 1917, we shall probably get il
 1918 S6O,OOO,O00 worth. From Ital!
 the imports of 1916 we're $6O,OOU,0 900
 in 1917 $36,OOO,OOO aEd in 1918 vii
 probably not exceed $30,000, ,00C From Netherlands which sent us $44,
 100000 worth of merchandise il - 1916, the total seems likely to b II less than $1O,OO0,OO in 1918.
 2, From all of our North America 0 neighbors the imports of 1918 sho1
 an increase. From Canada the tota
 of 1917 was $414,000,000 and in 191
 seems likely to be about $450, ,000,00( 1S From Cuba which sent us S249, 900 Ie 900 worth of imports in 1917, the to V' tai for the nine months for which fig T. ures are available exceeds by abot
 $12,O0O,OOO that of the correspond
 ing period of last year, this compare
 lively small growth being in part du On to shortage of ships and in part du te to the fact that much sugar for tn 70, Allies is now being sent direct fro1 Cuba to Europe instead of going b ss way of the United States as hereto h. fore. From Mexico which sent us i n- 1917 $13o,o00 900 worth of merchaI ,ss disc indications are that the presel a. year will show a total of S145, ,000, ,0( ed while Argentina's figures for the mir 1t. months ending with September sho IT, an increase of $22, ,O00,0O0 over u nd same months of last year, suggestiI in a total of about $200,000,0OO for u
 full year against $117, 100000 in 191
 and $116, GOO, 900 in 1916. Brazil, f
 the nine months ending with SeI ~. tember shows a marked fall 0
 amounting to but $79, 100000 again $117,OOO,0O0 in the previous yea DS From Chile upon which we rely f n'' our nitrate and which also sends ret large quantities of copper the figur
 for the first nine months of 1918 a
 St24,o00,06o against S106,6O0, 900
 the same months of last year.
 et' On the export siGe, recorded shi os- ments to Europe as already tndfca es- ed show a slight fall when compa 1to ed with 1917, the figures for the nj red months ending with September bei
 ASz,Ss4,O6e, ,e60 against sS-e64, 900, 6