January Trade Balance

Figures from the U. S. Department of Commerce show that during January, 1924, the U. S. had exports of $395,170,129, imports of $293,788,573, a favorable trade balance of $101,381,566. In the light of the revival of European trade so constantly predicted during recent months, the trade figures with that continent are especially noteworthy. In January, 1923, our exports to Europe were $189,000,000 and our imports from Europe $103,000,000. During the same month this year, however, we sold $202,000,000 of our goods to Europe, but bought only $88,000,000 of European goods. Comparing the two Januarys' trade, our exports to France are about the same, those to Germany have increased from $26,000,000 to $40,000,000, those to the United Kingdom from $83,500,000 to $84,800,000.

Europe continued to prove our greatest customer and our greatest source of imports. As compared with the trade of January, 1923, this month in 1924 saw our exports to other North American countries decline from $78,000,000 to $74,000,000 and those to South America increase from $21,000,000 to $23,000,000; to Asia from $42,000,000 to $73,000,000; to Oceania (Australia, the Philippines, New Zealand and all the South Sea islands as far east as Hawaii), from $8,000,000 to $13,900,000; to Africa from $4,000,000 to $7,000,000.

Our imports from South America declined from $41,000,000 to $37,000,000, from Asia, from $92,000,000 to $77,000,000; imports to this country from the other grand divisions--North America, Oceania and Africa--declined.