Evening Republican, Volume 22, Number 301, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 December 1919 — HUGE INCREASE IN U. S. FOREIGN TRADE. [ARTICLE]

HUGE INCREASE IN U. S. FOREIGN TRADE.

New York, Dec. 15.—-The foreign trade of the United States for 1919, the first year following the war, will probably exceed $11,000,000,000, as compared with $4,259,000,000 for the fiscal year of 1914, all of which preceded the war, according to approximate figures compiled by the National City bank and made public today. Despite this great gain, which is partly -due to increased prices, Great Britain still retains the leadership in world trade, according to the bank’s statistics, with a total for 1919 that will probably exceed that of the United States, possibly reaching the $12,000,000,000 mark. Exports form two-thirds of the United States’ trade, while imports attain the same ratio in Great Britain’s figures. American exports approximate more than $7,000,000,000 as against $2,365,000,000 for the 1914 fiscal year, and imports, $3,800,000,000 against $1,894,000,000. The international trade of the world has advanced to $70,000,00,000, a gain of $30,000,000,000 over the year preceding the war and $10,000,000,000 over 1918. As these figures include exports and imports of all countries, thus counting all merchandise twice, the 1918 total represents $35,000,000,000 worth of merchandise.