OCR Text |
Show oo GREAT TRADE OF THE UNITED STATES. Although the United States Is forced to reduce its. trade with neutral countries, coun-tries, in order to place all available ships In -war service, the foreign trade Df the country increases. An authority on our foreign trade jresents the following figures: Tho total exports for tho year end-ng end-ng December 31, 1917, were $16,231,-)00,000, $16,231,-)00,000, or $749,000,000 more than in ho previous year. Of this increase, 1225,000,000 went to Canada, $114,000,-100 $114,000,-100 to Great Britain, $116,000,000 to Lily, $80,000,000 to Franco, $83,000,-100 $83,000,-100 to Japan, $57,000,000 to Mexico md $28,000,000 to Spain. Of tho de- ' :lines, tho most significant were $23,- ' 00,000 to the Netherlands, $27,000,- ' 00 to Sweden and $51,000,000 to Rus la n Asia. The losses to tho Nether-inds Nether-inds and to Sweden are of course at-ributable at-ributable to our embargo, and cannot ut increase the discontent arising 1 rom tho war in those countries. In ( (ccember there was a heavy loss of y 16,000,000 in shipments to Russia re- 1 alting from the recent collapse; and t till further declines" must be expect-d expect-d In the January figures. As to im- I orts, the total for the twelvo months f f 1917 aggregated $2,952,000,000, an i encouraging Increaso of $560,000,000 The preponderance of exports over lrr, ports was $3,279,000,000, comparei with $3,091,000,000 a year ago. This 1 a big excess of exports; yet tho ten dency for swollen balancos on the oa port sido is less pronounced than ii tho early stages of tho -war, because of partial rocovery In imports. Tho In crcaso of the latter was almost entire ly due to arrivals from Canada an South American countries. Our Im ports from Great Britain foil $25,000, 000, which is a matter of regret; be cause the larger our imports fron Britain, tho more easily her obliga lions horo would be adjusted. Import from Italy fell $2-1,000,000, from th Netherlands $21,000,000, from Franc $10,000,000, but increased $176,000,00( to Canada and $62,000,000 to Argen Una. Thus, while the war has serious, ly deranged our foreign trade, Its vol ume has boen well maintained, and th abnormal excess of exports has im mensoly strengthened ub as a creditoi nation. |