Evening star., 1924-03-03
PR|CESARE HIGHER
IN FOREIGN TRADE
Advances Noted in Over Half
of Articles in Both I'M \
ports and Exports.
Special Dispatch to The Star.

Special Dispatch TO The Star.
NEW YORK, March 3.-Higher prices
at home and abroad characterized the
1913 import and export trade of the
United States. While the advance is
less striking than in many earlier years,
it is Stiil true that the monthly aver
age prices in considerably more than
onc-half of the representative articles
entering apd leaving the country were
higher in December, 1928, than in the
corresponding month of 1922. ~ COM
pIation for the Trade Record of the
Ndional City Bank shows that about 5S
per cent Of the principal articles I'M
ported in 1928 showed higher prices in
December Of that year than in the cor
responding month of 1922, and that Sc
per cent of the principal exports also
showed higher prices in December, 1928
than in the same month of the preced-
ing year
Based on U. s. Reports.
This statement is based upon the
average import price named by the
Department of Commerce in the list of
scVcnty-sevcn articles, for which it
gives the monthly average export price,
and SiSty-onc articles named in it's list
If import prices. Of the siXty-one ar
ticlrS included in the list thirty five
show higher prices in December, 1925,
than in the same month of the pre-
ccdinG year, and of the Seyenty-seyen
representative articles in the export
list, forty-threc show advances and
thrty-four declines.
These records of advance or de-
cline in the monthly average import
D. and export prices. says the Trade
Record, are especially interesting in
the opportunity which they offer to
study world conditions in prices of
the leading articles of commerce and
those of the great groups of articles
forming the import and export trade.
Tho laws oflthe United States re-
Guire the statement of the value of
imported articles to show their "ac-
tual market value or wholesale price
in the country from which exported"
and our export prices represent the
value of the respective articles 'in
the ports OF the United States whence
they are exported" at the date of
their expectation. The advances OF
! declines in import prices, therefore.
represent price conditions abroad, and
those on the export side the advance
decline represents price conditions
In the United States.
Little Change in Foodstuns.
This comparison of the December,
1928, prices with those of the corre-
spending month OF one year earlier
prices of tho articles which we bring
from abroad have occurred. in manu-
featuring materials, while in food
StuffS the number of enumerated artl-
, cleS showing advances is no greater
than the number showing reductions.
out. Of the thirty-four articles of
manufacturing material included in
tho list above named. twenty three
showed higher prices in the country
from which shipped to the United
States. while eleven showed a reduc-
ton. this being the actual market
value or wholesale price in the coun-
try from which exported"
In hides coming from all parts OF
the world. all classes except those OF
cattle show higher prices in Decem-
ber. 1923, than in the same month of
1872. In ali grades of wool the prices
of 1923 exceed those of 1922, and this
sisaL lumber tin, bar iron and crude
petroleum.
Figures On Exports.
On the export side nineteen enum-
Grated articles of foodstuffs show
higher prices and fifteen show re-
duction, while twenty enumerated ar
ticles Of manufacture show higher
prices and fifteen a reduction. Fresh
aud pickled beef show advances when
compared with December, 1922, while
norl. in the various forms shows a
reduction. OF the grains. corn, bar
ley and rice show higher prices, while
wheat and rye show declines.
Fruits exported show in most cases
a decline. huttcr, cheese and Ycge-
tables IN advance. Cotton and prac-
tiraIIy all OF the manufactures of cot
ton show advances: So do all grades
of leather, mems boots and shoes,
silk manufacturers wool clothes, Ium-
.bcr, cement, tin plate, steel rails, iron
and steel billets and manufactures of
tobacco, whiic petroleum in all forms,
whether crude or as illuminating oil,
lubricatiug oil, gasoline and naphtha,