New Britain herald., 1930-10-22
Preliminary Report Filed On Special Trade Survey by Department of Com merce - QuestiOnnaires Mailed to 5000 Industries and 1000 Replies Are Studied.

Otudled.
 Boston, Oct. 22-While many New England manufacturers export portion of their products, most of these sell only a small percentage abroad, and by far the largest part of New England's exported products come from a comparatively small number of firms.
 This situation is uncovered in the preliminary report of the New Eng land foreign trade survey, made public today by the bureau of for eign and domestic commerce, which made the survey at the request of and in cooperation with the New England council, and with the aid of the New England Export club of the Boston Chamber of commerce and numerous other organizations.
 The survey was made to assemble for the first time the facts about the degree to which New England products are sold abroad, as basis for effective efforts to increase New England's overseas sales and thus promote the prosperity of the area.
 The complete results of the sur vey will soon be released in a VOL ume, "The Foreign Trade Survey of New England" by Charles E. Art man and Spencer H. Reed.
 The study brings out the fact that the value of raw materials imported by New England manufacturers for their own needs is considerably in excess of the total value of New England manufacturing products sold abroad. The total exports of these six states, as shown by the 1000 New England manufacturing concerns reporting, was approxi- mately 96.000,00O. The total value of imports reported by HOO New England importers was s21S.000,0
 Machinery and Vehicles Lead
 Machinery and vehicles constitute the most important class of New England products exported, the re- port declares, with a value exceed ing 4S.000,000, or about 25 per cent of the total exports for New Eng land. This is followed closely by metal manufactures and the two classes together make up nearly half of the total value of exports. The largest number of manufacturers engaged in exporting were found in +oJ and wood and paper third.
 ''Of the 45 principal individual commodities exported by New Eng land manufacturers, leather ranked first, valued at nearly S20,000,000" the preliminary report continues. s"The next five commodities, in orde- of importance, were hardware, cut lery, and mechanics tools; cotton manufactures; industrial machinery and parts (other than textile, cleo trical. printing, and agricultural, which were tabulated separately); rubber manufactures; and office ap- pliances and supplies. Each of these six groups exceeded S10,000,000 and together made up 50 per cent of the total value. It is insignificant that Of the 14 leading commodities expor' ed, each exceeding s5,000,000, all but five were metal products
 Over half of the 2,000 reporting manufacturers had an annual export business of less than s10,000 each. the report shows. The value of their aggregate exports, however, con- prised but 1.6 per cent of the total. More than one-third of the firms had exports of less than s5,000 each and nearly half of these reported sales of less than S1,000 each. It is noteworthy that IA per cent of the total number of companies, whose exports exceeded s100,000 each ac- count for more than S6 per cent of the total value of exports.
 The complete report, when issued will contain much more detailed in- formation concerning the types of products exports by New England firms and the ports through which they are shipped.
 Foreign Trade Survey
 Washington, Oct. 22-In an en- deavor to provide basic facts re. garding the nature and importance of the foreign trade of New Eng land manufacturers, so that dcti- nite and well-advised foreign trade policy may be set up for the re- zion, the department of commerce.. at the request of and in close CO., operation with leading New England business and shipping interests, un- dertook a pioneer study. the results of which are soon to be released as ''The Foreign Trade Survey of New England" by Charles E. Artman and Spencer H. Reed. A prelimir- ary report, prepared by Mir. Reed and embodying some of the out standing facts disclosed in this most comprehensive and concise bulletin, follows:
 Scope of the Survey
 It should be clearly borne in mind that the survey does not purport to be a complete record of the foreign trade of New England. but does serve as a large and representative sample whose value lies in the coni- parisons and relationships which it reveals. The study is confined sole ly to the activities Of manufacturers and does not include exports or inn ports by shippers, brokers. or others not engaged in manufacturing with-
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