The Washington herald., 1921-02-28
SUGAR HEADSLET
in IMPORT TRADE
DURING PAST YEAR
Eight Billion Pounds
Represents 1920's Ex-
cess, Says Banker.
OTHER BIG FACTORS
Finished High Grade Manu-.
factures Play Important Part
In Impressive Showing.

mendous increase in the imports OF
the United States in 1920 were SUI
gar. in quantities greater than ever
before Irrespective of the exception
ally high price; also finished manu-
factures of cotton, wool, silk. fibers,
wood. iron and steel, and chemicals.
Sugar imports, says a statement by
the National City Bank Of New
York, were far in excess of any
earlier year-over S,0OO,O00,00o
pounds against 1000, 10000 in the
Immediately preceding year, and an
annual average of 5000, ,OOO,OOO
pounds during the war period, this
1920 increase being irrespective OF
the fact that the average cost
abroad of the years imports was
l2 1-2 cents a pound against an av-
erage of Sc cents per pound in 1918
and less than cents per pound in
1919 and less than 5 cents per pound
in 1918. The total cost abroad OF
this unusually large Importation OF
sugar at phenomenally high prices
was Sl,017,163,456 against $394,2SO,-
434 for the sugar imported in the
former high record year, 1913. the
addition to our import record In the
single item of sugar having thus
been over $500, 100000 in 1920 and
accounting for Iearly one-half of
the phenomenal increase shown in
the 1920 imports as a whole.
steady Growth During War.
That there has been a steady and.
| in. fact, rapid growth in the import
record of the United States during
the entire war period is evident,
continues the banks statement,
| from a study of the figures. year by
year, but nothing that compares
| with 1920. The calendar year 1916
showed a gain of s613,000.oo0 over
| the Immediately preceding year, in
1917 there was a further increase OF
1851 900, 900, in 1919 another gain of
| 1878, 900, 900, but the calendar year
Ile2O capped the climax, thus far
| at least, with an increase of$l,375,-
| 900 900 over the Immediately pre-
| ceding year and grand total more
than three times that of the year
| preceding the war when the total
| stood at s1,7S3, 100000 or slightly
| less than Ia that of 1920.
Other Important Factors
While sugar, with an increase OF
| s613. 1000, 900 in the value of imports
in 1920 as compared with the i'm
| mediately preceding year, is the big
| gest factor in this total increase of
| sl.375, ,OOO, 900, there are certain other
important factors and they are, in
| practically all cases, finished manu-
| factures chiefly of high grade. In
cotton goods alone there was an in
| crease of SS5, 100000 as compared
with the Immediately preceding
wear; in wooden goods an increase
| of $4,000, 900; silk manufactures an
| increase of s20,000,000: manufac-
lures of fibers a gain of s5S.OoO, 600
lumber an increase of S2O.O0O'OOO;
iron and steel manufactures an
increase Of s23,000,00o; printing
paper s25,0O0,0oO; wood pulp $52,-
OOO, 900; and drugs and chemicals
an increase of ss5,000.000 when
compared with the Immediately
preceding year.
| "sugar, and .Manufnctures."
In fact, nearly all of the unprec'
edented increase in value of im'
ports in 1920 can be told in two
lwords-"sugar" and "manufac-
lures" There was, to be sure
considerable increase in certain OF
the manufacturing requirements
raw cotton, s66,0o0,00o; pig tin. $685..
900 900; rubber, $27.00o,0o0;. and
crude mineral oils. $4,000, 00,000;-bu'
the big increase occurred in sugar
and finished manufactures, chiehS
textiles. In certain other articles
in which we had been expecting an
increase. such as diamonds, raw
silk. coffee, and cocoa, there was
decline in the values imported II
1920, the group diamonds and pre-
cious stones" falling from $105,00O,'
900 in 1919 to $76,000, 900 in 1920
coffee, which dropped in price IN tnt
second half of the year. showed fol
1920 only s252 100000 against s26l,'
000, 900 in 1919: and raw silk, which
rapidly declined in price in th'
second half of the year, showed
total in 1920 of only s2S5,000, ,0O'
against s329.000,000 in 1919. II
many important articles which WI
usually consider as "the leaders
in the manufacturing materials, th
T. figures of 1920 were less in valu'
than in 1919, the group raw ma
terial for use in manufacturing
showing an increase of only $7S,
100000, while the group manu-
| features ready for consumption
II