Big Increase Seen in First Quarter of 1938
Washington, June 20.
The Philippines passed China, India and Argentina, rising from the tenth to the seventh largest supplier of goods to the United States for the first quarter of 1938, as compared with the corresponding period of last year, it was officially announced today.
The United States Tariff Commission in an analysis of recent import trends seid imports from the Philippines declined only eight per cent. which was less than the decrease in imports from any other country, Seventy-one per cent, less goods were imported from Argentina for the first quarter of this year compared to the figures for the same number of months in 1937.
Imports from China declined by 60 mer cent. while imports from Japan dropped by 40 per cent.
The Philippines exported U.S.- $24,864,000 worth of goods to the United States for the first quarter of this year compared to U.S.$27,121,000 last year for the same period, There was a total decrease in imports from all countries amounting to U.S.$292,000,000.
The greatest decline was registered among agricultural imports and the decrease in imports of dutiable goods from all countries was much greater than in duty-free goods.
Copper, crude petroleum and unstemmed cigarette leaf were the only commodities showing an increase.
Sugar. imports from Cuba fell off by 33 per cent. The report said "imports from the Philippines have fallen only slightly because the important sugar trade in the islands declined by only a sixth of one per cent.—United Press,
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