Show OUR EXPORT T ADE HURT BY BRITISH BLOCKADE BIG HINDRANCE TO EXPANSION OF RAPIDLY GROWING BUSINESS shipments that formerly wert went to europe europ via hamburg have gone to sweden since start of the war stockholm sweden notwithstanding the many obstacles with which they meet representatives of american exporting concerns here are endeavoring deavo ring to maintain trade relations between the united states and sweden so as to be la in position to take advantage of the permanent opportunities expected with the conclusion of european beace peace prior to io the war america played an almost negligible part in m the trade of sweden export and import alike during inythe the fiscal year ended june 30 1915 imports from the united states however took a leap which carried them g U up P more than per cent above e the 1 normal then came the tightening of the british blockade and the swedish war trade act which prohibits prohibit san an importer from giving guarantees to great britain covering goods bought in the united states or other neutral countries under these adverse influences the trade has rapidly declined the american imports for the first three months of 1916 having amounted only to against in 1915 1916 although the figures are not available here it is said the trade ot of more recent months has shown a similar or even greater falling off the government has adopted the policy of riot announcing export or im pori figures during the war anait and it I 1 is 8 regarded as a inis misdemeanor demeanor to ask for them in february 1916 the imports from the united states amounted to a little more than against more than a year ago in march the decline was from eighteen millions in 1915 to four millions in 1016 1916 enormous as was tile the In inac Orease ease in american imports during the fiscal year ended june 30 1915 the first six months of the 1918 1916 fiscal year eclipsed former figures tor for a similar period by nearly england contended that these enormous imports from america meant one of two things elther either that they were going to germany through sweden or were replacing on the market here swedish goods shipped to germany and so tho the blockade lid was put on hard and tight with the result that eng english elsh naval authorities now supervise all cargoes coming from over the atlantic ocean |