The Washington herald., 1921-03-22
PRICES ABROAD
OF IMPORT GOODS
CONTINUELOWER
Most Articles Show Huge
Decline Over Previous
Months.
FOODSTUFFS DROP
Manufacturing Material and
Certain Raw Foodstuffs
Show Greatest Drop.
FOODSTUFFS DE

Prices abroad of the articles De-
ing imported into the United States
continue to decline. A month ago,
says a statement by the National
City Bank of New York. it was
quite apparent, by a study OF de-
tails of the December imports, that
a very large proportion of the mer-
chandise entering the United states
in that month was at a lower price
per unit of quantity than In earlier
months of 1920 or in 1919 and the
details of imports in the opening
hpnth of the current year show q
stnl further decline. In fact in ap-
proximately three-fourths OF the
articles imported the prices per
unit of quantity in January the
latest month for which details are
available are less than those of De-
cember and far below those of ear
lier months of 1920.
Major Declines.
This continuous fall in prices per
unit of quantity Of the articles i'm
ported occurs especially in manu-
featuring material and contain
lines OF raw foodstuffs while man
ufactures show a lesser willingness
to come down" than do the raw
materials. Raw silk. for example,
Of which the import price averaged
$3.50 per pound in December, 1870.
and S122S per pound in March, was
in January, 1921. $500 per pound
Raw cotton. Of which the import
price was 29c per pound in Decem-
ber, and 69c per pound in August
1920. averaged 2s.3c per pound in
January, 1921 Clothing wool. which
averaged In the imports of Decem-
Der, gale per pound. and e6.3c per
pound in March, averaged 24.2c in
January. while combing wool, OF
which the import price in June was
Tic per pound, was in January.
1921, 22.2c. Manila hemp, which
was $292.74 per ton IN De-
cember. 1920, and $376.ss in July,
was S226.43 in January, 1921. and
sisaI grass "a substitute for hemp)
which averaged s226.0l per ton in
February, 1920, was s13s.so per ton
in January, 1921. Hides Of cattle.
which averaged 35.40c per pound in
last May, were in January only
l7.2c per pound, and goat skins,
which averaged sl.27 per pound in
July. were only 4S.ic per pound in
January, 1891. India rubber, which
averaged over 46c per pound in
April, was but 29.4c in January.
Tin, for use in manufacturing tin
plate, which averaged 64.Sc per
pound in, August, was 44.6c in jan
uary. D.
Foodstuns.
Foodstuffs. in the natural or part
" manufactured state, also show
declines. Rice, of which the aver
age import price last June was lo.3
cents per pound. averaged as cents
per pound in the january, 1871, I'M
ports: cacao, Sc cents per pound
against H. cents in May, last
coffee, 10 cents per pound in jan
uary. 1921. against 22.a cents In Feb
uary, 1920; Beans per bushel, s2.Ss'
against $3.50 in March. of last year;
onions, 80 cents per bushel. against
s23l in May; potatoes. ST. cents
per bushel, against $500 in June
tea, 1911 cents per pound, against ~
cents in July. 1920, and raw sugar
GlO cents per pound in January,
1921, against anF average of 16.lO
cents per pound in June, 1920.
Manufactures.
Manufactures, as above stated,
yield to the inevitable much more
slowly than the raw materials from
which they are produced. Unbleach-
ed cotton cloth, imported in January,
1921. averaged 35.4 cents per square
ward, against 34.2 cents in the high
record month of August, being thus
actually higher in January. 1871
than the average of any month In
the wear 1920; bar iron averaged
SlS0.33 per ton, which is much above
the average of the year 1920, and
only surpassed by the figures OF
July, which showed an average OF
s1s4.s0 per ton; newsprint paper in
sists upon going higher every
month, the average import price OF
the newsprint paper brought into
the country in January, 1921, having
been 6.35 cents per pound, against
5.69 cents per pound in November
the highest monthly average OF 1920:
the monthly average price of news
print paper was in January. 1920
ass cents per pound: in June, 4-3l
cents; December, 5.19 cents. and jan
uary, 1921, 6.35 cents, while wood
pulp and pulp wood also show high
er prices in January than In the
Immediately preceding month.
The above average monthly i'm
port prices" represent, II is proper
to explain, the prices in the country
from which the merchandise is ex-
ported TO the United States. since the
law governing imports requires the
person abroad exporting merchan-
disc to this country to state under
oath before the United States consul
the selling prices or market value
of the article in question at the
place from which shipped to tho
United States. and these statements
are made the basis of the valuations
Of the importers named by the Gus
toms authorities.