Chemical Foreign Trade in 1938l Decreases Shown
AI1 along the Line OTTO WILSON 3025 Fifteenth Street, N. W., Washington, D. C .
T
HE profound political disturbances of the past year were bound to have an adverse effect on our foreign trade. A review of the returns shows that the effect was amarked one: Foreign trade all along the line showed diminished volume and value. Chemicals and chemical wares were no exceptions, both the incoming and the outgoing trade suffering losses. Imports were hit hardest, the year’s total standing a t $78,021,000, about 24 per cent under that of the year before. Exports, with a total value of $128,910,000, were 7 to 8 per cent lower. Before considering the trade in detail, it will be interesting to glance at the background and note the course of the country’s foreign trade as a whole. As compared with 1937, the merchandise foreign trade of the United States fell off about one fourth, chiefly in imports. From the beginning of the year the monthly totals of incoming trade were far below those of the previous year, and the 1938 record closed with a total value for general imports of merchandise of $1,960,528,000. This compared with $3,083,668,000 for 1937, the reduction being about 36 per cent. Exports made a much better showing, the year’s loss being less than 8 per cent. They held up well throughout most of the year and, in fact, during the first four months the trade totals surpassed those of the corresponding months of 1937. Beginning with May, however, the monthly totals were consistently below those of the year before, and during the later months were very noticeably so. I n the last quarter the decrease was about 20 per cent. For the year as a whole exports of merchandise were valued a t $3,094,095,000 as against $3,349,167,000 in 1937. I n the country’s merchandise foreign trade there is no reflection, in the shape of sharp alterations in monthly totals, of the extreme political tension of the last four months of the year. The flow of gold, however, records the story vividly. Gold imports, which were only 7 to 8 million dollars a month in January and February, mounted to more than half a billion dollars in each of the months of September and October, and were nearly a quarter of a billion in December. For the whole year our imports of gold amounted to almost two billion dollars. The decrease in general merchandise trade was not confined to the traffic with particular countries or sections. Imports from all.the continental areas, including North America, were notably lower, and exports to each of those areas were also below the 1937 figures. Imports from the Far East suffered heavily, those from China being cut in half and those from Japan being reduced nearly 40 per cent. Imports from Germany fell off about one third, and those from the United Kingdom more than 40 per cent, Exports to these regions, on the
other hand, were maintained fairly well, the general decrease being distributed rather evenly over the whole world-trade area.
I. Chemical and Related Products Trade in chemical goods, generally speaking, followed the course of our foreign trade as a whole. As noted, the decrease of 36 per cent in general imports compared with 24 per cent for chemical commodities. I n the export trade a total decrease of 7.6 per cent was matched by a 7.6 per cent decrease in chemical sales abroad. While no returns are yet available showing the distribution of chemical imports and exports by regions or countries, the parallel with the country’s foreign trade as a whole is a fair assurance that decreases in chemical imports and exports were also world-wide in character. Decreases were likewise distributed more or less evenly among the chief classes of chemical imports and exports. Among the imports they ranged from 12 to 37 per cent and among the exports, except coal-tar products, they ranged from a 13 per cent decrease to a 5 per cent gain. Imports of paints and paint materials, with a drop of 37 per cent, and those of industrial chemicals, with a 36 per cent decrease, felt the influence of adverse world-trade conditions most keenly.
TABLEI. U. S. FOREIGN TRADEIN CHEMICALS AND RELATED PRODUCTS BY TOTALVALUES(IN THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS) Year
Imports
Exports
Year
Imports
Exports,
1929 1930 1931 1932 1933
$144,055 112,070 82,738 47,852 59,287
$151 992 1273770 100,027 70,348 76,771
1934 1935 1936 1937 1938
$ 65,117 68,716 79,975 102,571 78,021
$ 92,565 103,092 116902 1393447 128,910
TABLN 11. FOREIGN TRADEIN CHEMICALS AND RELATED PRODUCTS BY GREATGROUPS (IN THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS) Imports
1937
1938
Inoreaae (+I or Deorease ( -)
$18 353 4k494 26,447 2,179 46,704 864 3,131
$15 970 4:328 16 794 1,’368 36,496 655 2,409
-13 -12 -36 -37 -22 -24 -23
14,878 17.979 27,526 27,505 21 544 16:954 3,863 3,201 5,998
9 890 17:079 28,953 25,173 18,655 16,531 3,666 2,797 6,166
% Coal-tar produots Medicinals and pharmaceuticals Industrial ohemioals Pigments, painta, and varnishes Fertilizers and materials Explosive6 Soaps and toilet preparations Exoorts Cod-tar products Medicinals and pharmaceuticals Industrial ohemical speciahes Industrial ohemioals Pigments, paints, and varnishes Fertilizers and materials Explosives, fuses, eto. Soaps Toilet preparationa
I All 1938 figures are preliminary. Comparative figures for 1937 are also the preliminary figures issued a year ago, as the Department of Commeroe has not yet published the final figures. There is seldom any important differenoe between preliminary and final figures as relating t o ohemioal trade.
492
-34 -5 f 5 -8 -13 -2 -5 -13 +3
APRIL, 1939
INDUSTRIAL AND ENGINEERING ”CHEMISTRY
Even in a year of general decline exports of chemical specialties continued to push ahead, the 1938 total being 5 per cent over that of the year before. American toilet preparations were also in slightly increased demand, these two classes of chemical products being the only ones in either imports or exports to register a larger total last year than in 1937. Import and export figures for each class of chemical commodities in the last two years are shown in Table 11. Trade variations in the leading articles in each class in 1938 as compared with the previous year are discussed in the following paragraphs.
Coal-Tar Products The feature of the year’s trade in coal-tar products was a sharp falling off in exports, the value of which was 34 per cent under that of 1937. This was a much greater decrease than that experienced by any other export chemical group. Glancing over the returns for the separate commodities we find that the decrease of about $5,000,000 was distributed throughout the whole list of coal-tar exports, each registering a smaller total than in 1937. Accounting for nearly one half of the decrease was the item “coal-tar colors, dyes, stains, and color lakes,” whose 1938 total of $3,825,000 was nearly 40 per cent less than the previous year’s figure of $6,244,000. I n point of quantity the decrease was even larger, last year’s figure being 8,575,000 pounds as compared with 16,689,000 pounds in 1937. Rubber compounding agents of coal-tar products were sold abroad to a total of 1,752,000 pounds, valued a t $735,000, about 30 per cent 4ess in quantity and 20 per cent less in value than in 1937. Other finished coal-tar products fell from $1,228,000 to $604,000 in value. Exports of crude coal-tar products dropped 26 per cent in value, from $4,915,000 in 1937 to $3,629,000 in 1938. Sales of benzene, the leading crude, were cut in half, reaching 10,613,000 gallons as against 20,481,000 gallons in 1937, but better prices brought the total value to $1,802,000 which compared with $2,824,000 in the previous year. Crude and refined coal-tar sales, 7,128,000 gallons, were practically the same as in 1937 although the value, $403,000, was about 11 per cent less. Coal-tar pitch, $222,000, and creosote or dead oil, $91,000, were approximately 20 per cent under 1937 exports. Coal-tar intermediates were sold abroad to the extent of 5,928,000 pounds valued a t $1,097,000, about one half less in quantity and one third less in value than in the year before. Among the imports creosote oil continued to lead all other coal-tar products with a value of $6,316,000, compared with $6,806,008 in the year before. The quantity also held up well, reaching 55,392,000 gallons as compared with 58,190,000 gallons. Imports of colors, dyes, stains, etc., were valued at $5,062,000, also comparing well with the 1937 value, $5,201,000. Coal-tar medicinals were valued a t $176,000 and acids a t $365,000, representing decreases of 11 and 28 per cent, respectively*
Medicinals and Pharmaceuticals With the import and export totals remaining much the same, the individual commodities in this group also showed no marked changes last year. Menthol, the leading import, followed the lead of the general trade and marked up a total quantity and value some 12 per cent lower than in 1937. Totals for 1938 were 406,000 pounds and $958,000. Quinine sulfate was again the second most important import item, being valued at $515,000. I n 1937 imports reached $677,000. Other quinine and alkaloids and salts from cinchona bark were valued at $370,000 in 1938 as against $534,000 in 1937. Preparations in capsules, pills,
493
tablets, etc., reached a value of $493,000, a reduction of 17 per cent. Among the medicinals sent abroad by the United States the leading items were sold to about the same value in 1938 as in the year before. Tablets, pills, capsules, powders, ointments, etc., a subclassification of druggists’ nonproprietary preparations, were the most popular American medicinals with foreign buyers. Sales totaled $2,805,000 in 1938 and $3,203,000 in 1937. Tonics, blood purifiers, emulsions, and appetizers, with a value of $2,098,000, made up the second largest export item, their total value being slightly higher than in the year before. Other leading medicinals in the export list, with the value of shipments in 1938 and 1937, respectively, included: serums and antitoxins for human use, $1,089,000 and $995,000; elixirs, tinctures, extracts, and similar liquid solutions, $1,738,000 and $1,948,000; laxatives, purgatives, and cathartics, $866,000 and $1,031,000; glandular products, etc., $895,000 and $856,000; salves and ointments for coughs, colds, etc., $873,000 and $975,000; other preparations for colds, coughs, and bronchial infection, $702,000 and $687,000; white mineral oil, $536,000 and $770,000; plasters, $460,000 and $432,000; and medicinal and reagent chemicals, $320,000 and $219,000.
Chemical Specialties These varied compounds, most of which are prepared for household and farm use, have increased in popularity abroad until they constitute the chief group of chemical goods entering into our export trade. The largest single class of products included in this group is that of pyroxylin products, of which $3,251,000 worth went into our export trade last year. I n 1937 the value of these exports was $4,005,000. They are classed under three headings, pyroxylin plastic film support (celluloid film base), sold to a value of $2,855,000in 1938 and $3,265,000 in 1937; pyroxylin sheets, rods, or tubes, $277,000 last year and $458,000 in the year before; and scrap and film scrap, $119,000 in 1938 and $282,000 in 1937. Cellulose acetate sheets, rods, or tubes were valued at $201,000 in 1938 and $719,000 in 1937. But the figures for the earlier year may have included “cellulose acetate plastic film support” which appears as a separate item in the 1938 statistics and is credited with an export value of $473,000. Nitro- and acetocellulose in solution were sold abroad to a value of $223,000 in 1938, and the same substances not in solution to a value of $566,000, these totals representing reductions from the previous year of 14 and 1 per cent, respectively. Aside from these articles, petroleum jelly stood first in value of exports last year with $1,606,000, as compared with $1,731,000 in 1937. The decrease in quantity of shipments was about in the same proportion, from 39,361,000 to 37,565,000 pounds. Liquid insecticides and exterminators for household and industrial use were sold to a value of $1,339,000, a gain of 9 per cent over 1937. Other items whose value passed $1,000,000were synthetic gums and resins, 6,920,000 pounds valued at $1,328,000 as against 6,906,000 pounds valued a t $1,375,000 in the year before, and copper sulfate, 31,250,000 pounds valued a t $1,229,000 as against 23,528,000 pounds valued at $1,212,000. Other important items in the 1938 trade included the following: agricultural insecticides, fungicides, and similar preparations, not elsewhere mentioned in the list, $955,000, a 10 per cent gain; flavoring extracts, $511,000, an increase of 48 per cent; cementing preparations, $520,000, about 30 per cent less than in 1937; textile specialty compounds, $454,000, an increase of 16 per cent; baking powder, $447,000, a 3 per cent
INDUSTRIAL AND ENGINEERING CHEMISTRY
494
VOL. 31, NO. 4
TABLE 111. IMPORTS AND EXPORTS OF INDUSTRIAL CHEMICALS (IN THOUSANDS) Imports Acetylene, butylene, ethylene, and propylene derivatives Aoids end anhydrides: Aoetio or pyrohgneous Arsenious (white arsenio) Formic Oxalic Sulfurio (oil of vitriol) Tartaric All other Aloohols, including fusel oil Ammo+um compounds, n.e.s.:b Chloride (muriate) Nitrate All other Barium oompounds Caloium oompounds Cellulose products, n. e. 8 . : ~
An __All - -d a t- eother: _I
Sheets thiok Sheets thai 0.003
more than 0.003 inch and other forms bands, and strips more inch, wide, not over inch thiok
Glyoerol: Crude Refined Iodine crude Lime, khlorinated, or bleaohing powder Magnesium compounds Potassium compounds, n. e. s . : b Carbonate Chlorate and perchlorate Cream of tartar C anide HYydroxide (oaustic) Argols, tartar, and wine lees All other Sodium oompaunds, noe. s.:b Sulfate (salt cake), tons Sulfate, anhydrous, tons Chlorate Cyanide Ferrocyanide (yellow prussiate) Nitrite (except pyrophosPhosphales phatea) All other Radium salts (grains, not in thousands) Other industrial ohemicals
-1937Pounds
Value
2,118 $ 357 31,633 1,696 38,543 820 844 67 218 12 2,752 17 327 52 3,363 447 2
...
-1938Pounds 1,202 $ 6,356 28,476 585 570 2,780 Lo87
...
Value 232 338 608 41 28 19
..132 a
8,448 6,444 713 1,681 1,508
203 72 93 58 39
6,583 3,330 633 962 755
160 46 66 43 22
11
37
4
5
74
67
59
51
149
28
36
9
1,912 1,016 1,828 843 83 7
554 466 643 1,059
237 329 207 519
1
784 719 564 373 160 41
13,598 7,378 1,967
2,291 1,780 1,784
13,098 2,567 57 1
1,028 219 464
2,154 13,617
56 208
1,860 9,199
48 167
1,576 13,gE.l
81 5,85
87 2,274 23,820 4,414
34 168 1,699 329
583 13,696 36 84 973 317,745 3,130
31 808 5 30 79 2,472 23 1
197 14 7,070 35,292 1,283 1
1,872 289 266 3,762 82
127 6 6,156 26 387 1,544 60
1,332 117 220 2,404 79 3
12
1 614
" 431
236 ...
378 3,375
...2 . .598 .
...
b
7
Exports Acids and anhydrides: Acetic acid Aoetic anhydride Other organio aoids and anhydrides Inorgarno Hydroohlorio (muriatic) Boric (boraoic) Other Aloohols: Methanol Butanol (butyl)
3ir0'
Acetone Butyl acetate Carbon disulfide Formaldehyde (formalin) Amyl acetate Synthetio collecting reagents for ooncentration of ores. metals, or minerals Other organic chemicals Aluminum sulfate Other aluminum oompounds Calcium carbide Calcium chloride Potassium compounds (not fertilizers) Sodium compounds: Bichromate and chromate Cyanide Borate (borax) Silioate (water glass) Soda ash Bicarbonate (acid or baking soda) Hydroxide (cautio soda) dry weight Phosphate (mono-, di-, tri-, meta-, or pyro-) Other Tin compounds Gases compressed, liquefied, and shdified: Ammonia, anhydrpus Other gaseous refrigerants Chlorine Helium gas, cubio feet Other n. e. 8 . b Other in'dustrial chemicals
1937Pounds Value
-193Pounds
Value
150 76 1,659
17 9 280
161 322 1,236
18 32 211
7,629 15,844 16.731
123 735 552
6.297 11,191 11.515
124 514 504
839 3,346 1,375 12,140 9,654 3,941 5,882 2,865 379
314 288 338 1,433 626 399 261 119 45
196 4,286 3,746 16,518 11 212 4:144 3,936 1,765 255
80 360 427 1,537 635 403 184 77 31
6,990 16,516
1,165 2,110
8,489 16,922
1,431 2,415
63,615 5,217 4,831 43,463
679 426 157 415
55,430 3,541 3,982 48,236
578 258 124 397
4,189 703,196 6,321 889 307,544 15,594 109,469 19,271
484 12,011 402 123 4,709 241 1,253 307
5,233 519,986 4,839 1,136 155,038 12,099 102 033 20:963
486 10,417 312 149 2,642 204 1,327 332
204,535
3,641
200,047
4,095
5,869 31,625 218
220 1,091 70
7,635 16,197 172
315 1,041 46
2,195 1,916 8,589 4 11,049
251 424 347 1 507 2,889
2,710 1,889 9,486 4 1,774
294 447 256 1 285 2,600
...
...
Less than $500. b Not elsewhere stated. c Less than 500 pounds.
a
787 2,740
loss ; specialty cleaning and washing compounds, $406,000, an increase of 27 per cent; shoe nolishes and cleaners, $392,000, a decrease of 6 per cent; water softeners, etc., $325,000, a 14 per cent loss; nicotine sulfate, $304,000, about 4 per cent under 1937; leather dressings and stains, $295,000, a 16 per cent decrease; automobile polishes, $294,000, a 25 per cent gain; and dextrin or British gum, $274,000, an increase of 7 per cent.
Industrial Chemicals The influences making for smaller trade totals were especially in evidence in our incoming trade in industrial chemicals. The drop of more than one third was shared by most of the leading commodities of the group. In the outgoing trade, on the other hand, several items showed increased business. Details of the movement of this important class of chemical goods in the last two years are shown in Table 111. Pigments, Paints, and Varnishes Foreign trade in this class of articles is largely export trade, in which the slump last year was not so severe. The drop in total value for the year was thus held to about 16 per cent for the whole foreign trade in this class of goods.
More than a third of the decrease in export value was due to lower shipments of the leading item, carbon black or gas black. They totaled 167,968,000 pounds and were valued at $7,580,000, as compared with 1937 shipments of 184,030,000 pounds valued a t $8,689,000. Second in value were readymixed paints, stains, and enamels, exports of which reached 2,366,000 gallons and were valued at $4,240,000, or 2 and 10 per cent, respectively, less than the 1937 trade. Pyroxylin lacquers have long been a leading item in this trade. Last year their sales amounted to $2,360,000, compared with $2,802,000 in 1937. Pigmented lacquers led with 600,000 gallons valued at $1,417,000, clear lacquers were 205,000 gallons valued at $421,000, and thinners were 698,000 gallons valued at $522,000. In point of value these figures represented decreases of 28,6, and 13 per cent from 1937. Exports of ocher, umber, sienna, and other forms of iron oxide for paints were valued at $303,000, a 20 per cent loss; zinc oxide at $186,000, a decrease of 50 per cent; lithopone a t $154,000, one third less than in 1937; calcimine or coldwater paints, dry, at $412,000, a 10 per cent decrease; titanium dioxide and titanium pigments at $324,000, a 35 per cent gain; litharge at $204,000, a loss of 8 per cent; and white lead at $191,000, also an 8 per cent decrease.
APRIL. 1939
INDUSTRIAL AND ENGINEERING CHEMISTRY
Bituminous paints, liquid and plastic, were valued a t $264,000, about 20 per cent less than in 1937, and varnishes at $554,000, a decrease of 15 per cent. Among the imports the leading item in point of value was iron oxide and hydroxide, 10,044,000 pounds of which valued at $324,000 were entered for consumption. I n the previous year the trade stood a t 16,674,000 pounds valued a t $489,000. Ochers and umbers were valued a t $105,000 in 1938 and all other mineral-earth pigments a t $265,000, both being about one half as large as in 1937. Lithopone and other zinc sulfides led the imports of chemical pigments with 7,864,000 pounds valued a t $207,000, as against 11,202,000 pounds valued a t $302,000 in 1937. Imports of paints, stains, and enamels were valued a t $218,000, a decrease of about 25 per cent.
Fertilizers and Fertilizer Materials Our foreign trade in fertilizers and materials is predominantly an import trade, our purchases from abroad being normally two to four times as great as our sales to foreign buyers. Last year the proportion was lower than usual, as imports shared more fully than exports in the general decline. Sodium nitrate, as usual, was the largest single commodity in the import group. It registered an 8 per cent decrease in both quantity and value, the 1938 returns being 577,000 tons valued a t $10,732,000 and those for 1937, 629,000 tons valued a t $11,649,000. The average declared valuation of 1938 imports was $18.60 per ton, practically the same as in the year before. A marked exception to the usual rule occurred in the incoming trade in ammonium sulfate, imports of which were 60 per cent higher than in 1937. Our purchases last year stood a t 121,000 tons valued a t $3,088,000, comparing with 1937 imports of 83,000 tons valued a t $1,917,000. Ammonium nitrate mixtures were also higher, being valued at $1,894,000, about 6 per cent more than in 1937. Calcium cyanamide imports, 119,000 tons valued a t $2,996,000, were only a shade lower in both quantity and value than in 1937. Imports of guano, $718,000, were nearly double those of the year before but the trade in calcium nitrate, valued a t $787,000, was nearly 30 per cent less. Imports of potash fertilizers showed a steep decline, the total value being more than 40 per cent under that of 1937. Last year’s total was about the same as that of two years before. All classes of imports suffered but the falling off was most noticeable in the case of manure salts and kainite. Details of the trade in the last two years are shown in Table IV.
495
$796,000 in 1937. Superphosphates were valued at $945,000 as against $841,000. Exports of nitrogenous materials were valued a t $5,164,000, of which ammonium sulfate made up $763,000, a drastic reduction from the $2,014,000 of 1937, although these materials altogether measured up well to the 1937 total of $5,403,000. Potassic materials sold abroad last year to a value of $2,600,000, a decrease of 27 per cent. Nitrogenous-phosphatic types fell off to $746,000 from the 1937 total of 81,001,000.
Explosives, Fuses, etc. Dynamite exports, valued a t $2,186,000, were the chief item in this group, which does not include ammunition. They compared with 1937 exports of $1,982,000. Safety fuses, $436,000, and blasting caps, $560,000, were, respectively, 10 and 3 per cent under 1937 exports. Imports under this heading consist almost wholly of firecrackers, valued a t $613,000 last year and $779,000 in 1937. Soap and Toilet Preparations Toilet or fancy soap continued to be the leading soap export, the trade in 1938 amounting to 10,248,000 pounds valued a t $1,385,000. This represented an 11 per cent gain in volume and a 4 per cent gain in values over the previous year’s business. Laundry soap, on the other hand, fell to a value of $471,000 from the 1937 figure of $811,000. Scouring bricks, pastes, etc., were valued a t $296,000 last year and $337,000 in the year before. I n the list of toilet preparations sold abroad dental creams are outstanding, supplying nearly one third the total last year with a value of $1,842,000. This was an increase of 9 per cent. The second largest item in this trade was talcum powder in packages, which sold to a value of $620,000, slightly more than in 1937. Face and compact powder, with $358,000, and hair preparations, with $587,000, were about the same as in 1937; lipsticks were valued a t $557,000, a 5 per cent decrease; and manicuring preparations, $370,000, registered a 15 per cent gain. Perfume materials, valued a t $1,453,000, about 23 per cent less than in 1937, led the list of imports in this group last year. Perfumery, bay rum, and toilet water, valued a t $378,000, were about one fourth less than in 1937. Castile, toilet, and other soaps were imported to a value of $418,000 as compared with $554,000 in 1937.
11. Materials Related to Chemical Industries Besides chemicals and related manufactures grouped to-
TABLEIV.
IMPORTS OF POTASH FERTILIZER (IN THOUSANDS) gether in the trade statistics, a number of articles in foreign
Chloride, crude Kainite Manure salts Sulfate Nitrate (saltpeter) Total
-1937Tons 373 116 40 104 68
701
Value % 9,725 1,139 592 3,316 2,021
16,793
-1938Tons 199 54 8 65 53
379
Value $5,372 526 113 2,193 1,652 c
_
9,856
Fertilizer compounds, containing all three of the basic elements, were imported to a value of $347,000 last year, the 1937 total being $415,000. Exports of fertilizers held up well in a year of depressed trade, being only slightly smaller in total value than in the year before. Some items, in fact, were higher, among them land pebble phosphate rock, shipments of which reached 959,000 tons valued at $5,478,000 compared with 1937 figures of 932,000 tons valued at $5,023,000. High-grade hard rock showed even a larger proportionate gain, totaling 182,000 tons valued a t $1,160,000 as against 120,000 tons valued a t
trade, chiefly raw materials, have an interest for chemical industrialists. Following are returns for the more important of these commodities.
Gums, Resins, and Naval Stores Large decreases all along the line were the rule in imports of foreign gums in 1938. Chicle continued to lead the list, the value of 1938 shipments standing a t $2,457,000. This was considerably below the 1937 total of $3,009,000. All other items of importance likewise registered much lower totals, including unbleached shellac, $1,090,000,a 50 per cent decrease; crude lac, seed-lac, etc., $992,000, a 43 per cent decrease; dammar, $747,000, a 38 per cent decrease; tragacanth, $595,000, a 57 per cent decrease; arabic or senega1 gum, $540,000, a 30 per cent decrease; and karaya and talka gum, $522,000, a 44 per cent decrease. Exports of naval stores, gums, and resins were also notably lower as shown in Table V.
INDUSTRIAL AND ENGINEERING CHEMISTRY
496
TABLE V. EXPORTS OF NAVAL STORES, GUMS,AND RESINS(IN THOUSANDS) Naval stores: Gum rosin barrels Wood rosi;, barrels Gum spirits of turpentine, gallons Wood turpentine, gallons Pine oil, gallons Tar and pitoh of wood, pounds Other gums and resins, pounds
-!937---193&--1 Quantity Value Quantity Value 749 $11,208 280 3,405 11,550 4,233 2,060 773 1,730 1,032 19,278 323 7,339 1,167
22,141
Total
506 $ 4,799 341 2,596 8,771 2,292 1,884 499 1,523 835 16,705 256 5,989 1,052
12,329
Mineral Oils Exports of petroleum and products were slightly higher in 1938 than in 1937, while imports, in line with the prevailing tendency, were somewhat lower. The variations in both cases, however, were not marked. Table VI shows the foreign trade in the various products in this group. TABLE VI. FOREIGN TRADE IN PETROLEUM AND PRODUCTS (IN THOUSANDS) Imports Petroleum and roduots, total Petroleum, cru& Refined oils Exports Petroleum and roduots, total Petroleum, or?& Natural gasoline Refined oils: Gasoline and other petroleum motor fuels Mineral spirits Nauhtha. solvents, and other light eraducts Illuminating oil (kerosene) Gas oil and distillate fuel oil Residual fuel oil Lubricating oil Fuel or bunker oil for vessels in foreign trade (not inoluded in exports)
-1937Barrels
- 1 9 3 L Value Barrels Value $ 44,586 $ 39,462 2f,310 20,761 26,052 18,603 32,693 22,104 27,835 19,632 sf,i27 3,738
376,274 96,431 9,465
7f,i72 6,114
388,626 111,739 13,059
30,488 97
84,921 505
40,269 111
103,544 543
1,511 8,664 28,993 12.810 10,899
5,936 20,898 42,864 11.709 86,634
1,322 7,262 28,296 15,536 9,312
4,055 16,174 42,770 13,586 68,855
37,688
43,545
36,059
37,823
Sulfur Exports of crude sulfur reached a total of 576,000 tons in 1938 as compared with 644,000 tons in the year before. The value was $10,333,000 in 1938 and $11,588,000in 1937. Crushed, ground, and refined sulfur, etc., sold abroad to the extent of 28,463,000 pounds valued a t $470,000, comparing with 1937 sales of 29,669,000 pounds valued a t $501,000.
Rubber A sharp cut in the volume of crude rubber imports in 1938 was accompanied by a still more drastic decrease in the total value of these imports. The year’s trade amounted to 445,334 tons valued a t $125,358,000 as compared with 643,553 tons valued a t $237,307,000 in 1937. Declared valuation of
VOL. 31, NO. 4
these imports per pound was about 14 cents in 1938 and 18 cents in 1937. Rubber latex to a value of $4,147,000 and jelutong to a value of $2,945,000 were the two leading items in this trade aside from crude rubber. The totals given compared with $10,214,000and $2,018,000for these products in 1937. Dyeing and Tanning Materials Quebracho extract, the leading tanning material imported, reached a 1938 total of 85,228,000 pounds valued a t $2,735,000. I n 1937 this trade amounted to 142,412,000 pounds valued at $4,628,000. Quebracho wood imports were valued a t $485,000 last year as compared with $209,000 in the year before. Mangrove extract was imported from the Philippines to the extent of $389,000in 1938and $318,000 in 1937, and from other sources a t $90,000 and $113,000. Other commodities in this group included gambier, $197,000; wattle bark, $159,000; myrobalans fruit, $146,000; nutgalls and gallnuts, $139,000; and extracts for dyeing, etc., $130,000. All these except the last-named were far below 1937 figures. Dyeing extracts increased about 11per cent. Exports of vegetable dyeing and tanning extracts were valued at $1,329,000last year and $1,754,000 in 1937.
Vegetable and Essential Oils Imports of vegetable oils (as given in a special statistical group which does not include some oils in other classifications) were drastically reduced in 1938, the year’s total value being $47,090,000 as compared with a 1937 figure of $86,664,000. Tung oil continued to hold its place a t the head of these imports, its value last year being $11,923,000. I n 1937 it was $20,100,000. Coconut oil from the Philippines was a close second with $11,400,000 as compared with $19,886,000 in 1937, and palm oil made a good third with $9,125,000 as compared with $15,835,000 in 1937. Other large items in this group were carnauba wax, $3,927,000, an 18 per cent decrease; perilla, $1,665,000, a 22 per cent decrease; and sulfured olive oil, $1,241,000,a 36 per cent decrease. Imports of essential oils were reduced about 18 per cent. Table VI1 gives the trade of the last two years. TABLE VII. IMPORTS OF ESSENTIAL OILS Cassia and cinnamon Geranium Attar of roses, ounces Bergamot Citronella and lemon grass Lavender Lemon Orange Sandalwood Lime All other Total
-1937Pounds 482 134 39 87 1982 261 89 205 5 118 3963
Value $ 357
464 270 282 618 514 239 287 18 611 1797
5457
(IN
THOUSANDS)
-1938Pounds 405 147 28 91 2338 113 97 194 3 90 3468
Value $ 250
362 172 327 722 239 258 185 12 326 1642
4495
