Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-08-20
AMERICAN APPLES EXPORTED
TO MORE THAN 80 COUNTRIES
Many Fruits Now Shipped Abroad as
Imports to United States Show
Downward Trend.

Uncle Sam is demonstrating in another
line of industry that he is quite capable
of taking care of himself. For many
years large quantities of fruits were i'm
ported into the United States, but now
this trade shows a definite downward
trend, while the export trade has greatly
increased.
The foreign fruit trade during the
last ten years shows two distinct tend
encies. With the exception of two
years, 1917 and 1918, our export trade
increased, the maximum being reached
in 1919. On the other hand, the import
trade of the country has been on the
downward scale.
The average yearly exports Of fruit
for the pre-war period, .1910-1914, were
Even with two low years the five-year
average for the war period. 1915-1919,
was SIS, 259. 900 pounds, a yearly increase
considerably more than $4,000, 900
pounds, or 2.6 per cent.
Imports Show Decrease.
The average imports for the pre-war
period Appropriated 252,70s,o0o pounds:
for the war period only los, 1921, 900
pounds, decrease of 143, 2S7, 900 pounds,
Of 81 per cent.
Even taking into consideration the
increased consumption of fruit in the
United States and the fact that Ger
many, one Of the best customers of
this country, was out of the market,
the balance of trade in fruit remains
well on the export side of the ledger.
During the ten-year period our
exports of fruit Appropriated. 5,115,-
$4,000 pounds our imports but l.
$40, $4,000 pounds. or an excess of
exports over imports amounting to
1905, 100000 pounds
The United States exports fresh
fruits. chiefly apples, lemons and
oranges, while the following dried
fruits are sent out: Apples, apricots,
peaches, prunes and raisins
The imports into this country as
fresh fruits are bananas, grapes
lemons and oranges. Currants, dates,
figs. olives and raisins are the prin-
cipal dried or preserved fruits i'm
ported. American fruits compete with
bananas, although the American date,
currant and fig industries are in
their embryonic stages.
Oranges and Lemons Exported.
The overseas shipments of both
| oranges and lemons increased during
| the 1915-1919 period, and even the
| exports of apples with two very low
years included. have shown only Is
per cent decrease.
| The United Kingdom is by far on,
best customer for apples, taking an.
proximately two-thirds Of the entire
| exports of that commodity. American
apples are sent to more than eighty
countries.
There were exported annually 251..
100000 pounds of apples by the
United States prior to the war. From
1915 to 1919 the average exports
amounted to 213,000.0O0 pounds. o,
nearly 6 PEE cent of the average com.
mercial crop OH. s65. 500, 900 pounds.
| Oranges and lemons are the only
other fresh fruits exported in any
large quantities. Both the orange anG
lemon growing industries show 3
steady. increasing export demand
Canada and the United Kingdom tax.
ing most of the shipments.
| Grape imports, which come mostly
from Spain. declined coincident with
the rapid development Of the grape
industry In California. The average
imports for the f1ve-year pre-war
! period amounted to 35,127,0oO pounds
| During the five war years a drop to
| 1S.250.00o pounds. or 4s per cent. oc-
cured.
Orange and lemon imports present a
similar story. In pre-war times from
129, 100000 to 100000, 900 pounds of
lemons were imported annually from
Italy; with the increase in American
| production imports declined so greatly