Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1922-10-23
Philadelphia, Oct 10.
American Markets
Shift Positions

DILL L OolNlOItO
Washington, Oct. 23.-America' S
overseas markets are gradually shift
ing from Europe to Asia and the
nearby countries + The New World,
in the opinion of DR.. Julius Klein,
director of the Bureau Of Foreign
and Domestic Commerce Of the De-
partment Of Commerce.
The absolute values Of our ship
ments across the Atlantic, DR..
Klein admits. will doubtless continue
for years in excess of the pre-war
figures. The relative Importance Of
this country's markets outside Eur
ope is steadily increasing.
As evidence of the shift, Director
Klein points to the fact that during
the three fiscal years Immediately
preceding the war Europe took an
annual average of Gl.2 per cent OF
our exports. The peak of her rela-
tive Importance as a market for
American goods was reached in 1917
IS with a record Of Up per cent OF
the total.
"There has been a progressive de-
cline in the relative Importance OF
Europe as an export market since
that time" he said, cher average an
nual proportion in the three-year
period ending June 30 1922, having
been 55.7 per cent
Turning to our neighbors to the
north and south, Director Klein de
clared that "our sales to Canada,
Mexico, Cuba and other North AM
erican countries averaged 23.6 per
cent. during the fiscal years 1929,
inclusive. fell to about Is per cent.
during the war, and since 1913 havs
returned to % per cent, with cg:-
dence of definite advance in the flu
ture"
South America is also improv-
ing" DR.. Klein asserted, though not
quite so rapidly. Her postwar share
averaged about GA per cent. a.
against 5.4 per cent before 1912,
though the former figure was drawn
down by an abnormal drop in the
1922 percentages"
"The most significant progress,
however, the director said, may be
looked for in our transpaciiic mark
cts Their share of our sales during
the three years just before the war
averaged 40 per cent, and since then
have gone forward to a postwar av-
erage for 1919-l922 of 10 per cent.
reaching III per cent in the fiscal
year which has just closed" Ac-
cording to DR.. Klein, "our Asiatia
markets are clearly the ones which
are likely to grow in relative import
ance."
The lessons of the war and the
hectic period which followed have
been profitable to the American bus
mess community to such an extent
that sweeping criticism of American
in packing, redlt policies,
export paper work, etc, is no longer
warranted, in Director kleln's opin-
ion.
He said: at is now as never be
fore very generally realized through
out the commercial community of the
country that foreign trade is mat
ter of calm, scientific calculations,
rather than haphazard opportunistlc
that exporting is not to
be undertaken simply as n romantic
adventure in the eXuberance of
or an outlet for unstable
SURPRISES in periods of domestic de
preston.
He says that government trade !
agents all over the world are finding
that american packing is rarely
below par and usually shows the re
suits of scientific methods developed |
during the ship shortage Of the war; |
that "the linguistic equipment of our |
statesmen has noticeably improved
and that price quotations, credit |
terms and shipping arrangements |
are evidently being handled more
expertly and are causing much less
than previously.
He adds that this growing scien-
tifc or professional conception - (
our export trade will hr more aud /
more emphasized as trade acccutu- /
ates its present tendency away FROM |
staples such as cotton,
copper, and raw materials and turns
toward those articles of internatioN'
Al commerce which require much ,
more carefully planned merchandis-
ny"