Evening star., 1932-04-17
u. 5. EXPORT TRADE
GAIN ENCOURAGING
Favorable Reports Show
Country Gradually Strength
ening World Position.

The United States export trade. which
slumped to prewar levels in January
now is regaining its momentum and is
strengthening this countrys position as
! the worlds largest trader. the Com
merce Department announced yesterday
| in making public statistics on the
values OF exports and imports for
| March.
While the increase over the previous
month was reported as being small, 1t
reflected a general flow of commodities
from this country to various foreign
ports and not to any one particular
country.
S2,061,000 Increase.
Figures show the increase to be
81 ,061 900 over February, while the lat
ter month had a gain of S3,961 900
over January. due TO the rush of goods
to Great Britain during that month to
beat a new tariff barrier, effective
March l. The boost in figures for
March is expected to show when the
final tabulations are completed gen.
eral stimulation of business not only in
Europe and the Far East, but in South
America.
showed this countrys favorable trade
balance for the month was S25 900, 600.
Exports amounted to Sl56 600, 900, COM
pared with S235 ,899, 900 for March, 1881
and Sl53, 3,939, 900 for February. 1892.
Imports were $l31 900 900, against
s210,202 600 for March, 1881, and $780,
$4,000 for February last.
The figures also reflect upon the
statement issued on Friday by Secretary
Lament, who in commenting on this
country's foreign trade for 1881 said
that although exports were 81 per cent
under the preceding year, a large part
OF the decrease was due to price de-
clines. In actual quantity, he ex-
planned, the reduction was 20 per cent.
( or only slightly more than the decline
in domestic business.
Favorable Balance Figures.
The report reveals that although the
value OF exports and imports shrank
greatly during the month, the favorable
| trade balance was only S697 900 less
than in the same month a year ago
For the threemonth period ending
March 81 the favorable balance was
s62, ,409 900, compared with Sill SAT ,0OO
for the same period last year.
Another re-assuring factor was the
announcement that Europe's second raic
| on the dollar which commenced in
! January, had subsidized during March
| This item is believed to have been one
CT the favorable turns in business that
| prompted the White House statement
on Friday that there had been a gen.
eral stabiliZation in conditions in the
commercial world.
| Exports of gold during March were
! SAB, ,909 900, slump of $84 POP 900 com.
| pared with February shipments. Dur.
| ing the last three months Europe called
in $279, ,983 900 in gold from this coun,
| try, the exports being consigned Il
France, Belgium and the Netherlands
! In March. 1881. only $4,000 in gold wa!
| shipped abroad. Gold imports for tn,
month amounted to Sl9,238, 900, agains
$25,67l 900 for the same month las
year
The report revealed that during tht
last nine months the total gold export
| from this country were S745. $50 900
| Imports for the same period. the repor
showed, amounted to S46l 966 900.
Accompanying the foreign trade sta
tStics was statement by the depart
ment's cotton division and revealinI
that the larger volume of cotton ex,
! ports, which has been a decided facto,
IN this country's foreign trade durins
the last eight months. was maintained
| through March. when 927, 900 bales wert
exported compared with COS 900 bale
during March, 1881
6,854,0OO Bales Exported.
Exports for the eight months Of th
! cotton season aggregate 1854 600 bales
/ representing an increase of 1887 0Oi
hn hn ,,rxl.,
months CT last season. The exports fc
the first three months of this year ag
gregs ted 2,8l7,0 GOO bales. representing al
increase of l246, 600 bales over the sam
period in 1881.
The statement showed that the valu
! of the cotton exports for 1882 totalet
| S109, 340, 900 against $9l ,856 900 for tn
same period last year.
Japan continues to be the country
best cotton customer, taking durin,
March a total Of 270.2l2 bales. a,
against l78,254 fer March. 1881. Ger
many was second with I'll ,642 bales las
| month, as against l53, ,727 a year age
Great Britain was in third place, i'm
porting during the month l21. 1873 bales
as against only 64,993 bales for March
1881.
A total of 86,795 bales were reported
to have slipped through the mountinI
tariff barriers of France during tn
month, an increase of 29,l27 bales owe
the corresponding period. France ha
been named in Government circle
here as the chief offender" in trad
determinations imposed by foreign
countries which have had an adverset
effect upon American trade.
Department officials in attendance a
the meeting Friday with members o
the State Department to discuss for
| eign trade practices refused yesterda
to comment on the progress made.
Opinion was divided here yesterday II
we'll informed Government circles a
to whether the United States might fin