Foreign Trade

The Foreign Commerce Department of the Chamber of Commerce of the U. S. last week presented an array of statistical comparisons. It showed that on the 1925 list of U. S. imports, crude rubber stood first. Raw silk, coffee, cane sugar were second, third, fourth. Rubber gained in bulk as well as in value. Its total value imported was $429,705,000, a gain over 1924 of 146.6%. Its tonnage increased only 20.9%. (1924's price averaged 24-c- a pound, 1925's nearly 50-c-.)

Raw silk was valued at $396,286,000, a 21% gain. (Rayon, artificial silk, increased 124.7%; silk waste, 64%.)

Coffee was peculiar. Its value went up to $286,212,000 (15% increase), but the imported quantity shrank to 641,800 tons (9% decrease).

Sugar dropped in price from 4.39-c- to 2.75-c- in 1925; so, although the quantity imported was enormous, its value declined $117,505,000 or 32.3%.

Next in order came unmanufactured wool, dressed and undressed furs, standard newsprint paper, with raw hides and skins other than furs eighth on the list.

In recent years all U. S. exports have been in excess of imports. But since January the flow has reversed itself, until the status, according to last week's statement by the Department of Commerce, is thus:

1926 Exports Imports Excess

April $388,000,000 $398,000,000 +$10,000,000 March 374,420,609 443,097,849 + 68,677,240 Feb. 352,916,815 388,502,620 + 35,585,805 Jan. 397,195,833 416,767,339 + 19,571,506

This seems to indicate that the U. S. will not accumulate the $600,000,000 excess of exports over imports considered necessary to counterbalance the year's "invisible" exports of credits-- loans, tourist expenditures abroad, etc.

Stern is the necessity of foreign traders to know even the minute demands of their clients-- parceling, labeling, trade terminology and the like. Even a common language may have regional variations in phrases. For example, U. S. exporters of motor cars to Britain must keep in mind a glossary of terms like this:

U. S. British Top. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hood Hood. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bonnet Running boards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Platform steps Fenders . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Mudguards or wings Windshield . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..Windscreen Headlight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . .Headlamp Generator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dynamo Battery. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Accumulator or battery Gasket. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Washer Truck . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . Lorry Instrument board. . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . .Facia board Transmission. . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Gearbox Emergency brake. . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hand brake Choke . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . .Strangler Sedan. . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . Saloon Propeller shaft . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . Cardan shaft Countershaft. . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Layshaft Crank. . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. .Starting handle Connecting rod bearing. . . . . . . .. . . . . . . .Big end Gasoline. . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Petrol Duco (as general term). . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . Cellulose Gear shift . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Change speed lever Spark plug . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Sparking plug Oil pan. . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sump