Port Series

ern New Jersey and which is destined to the consuming centers of the Middle West and beyond. Manufactured commodities are brought to Norfolk and Newport News by coastwise steamers and are there transferred direct to cars which are carried in dispatch trains to the interior. These services are operated by the Old Dominion Steamship Co. and the Merchants & Miners Transportation Co. in conjunction with the Norfolk & Western and the Chesapeake & Ohio Railways. Regular berths are allotted the steamers at the railway terminals where their freight is given expeditious handling into cars consigned regularly to interior points. Through these combination water and rail dispatch services, freight is carried from points along the North Atlantic to the interior at a saving of considerable time over the all-rail route.

Through the cooperation of the Divison of Statistics, Bureau of Research, United States Shipping Board, there have been prepared especially for this publication the accompanying tables showing origin of imports and destination of exports through Hampton Roads during the calendar year 1921. The year 1921 was selected in the treatment of this subject in previous port series reports, and the same calendar year is used in this instance to provide a basis of comparison with other ports.

Norfolk and Portsmouth.-The table of imports shows the origin by countries of 232,761 long tons received at these ports during 1921. Imports from Mexico amounted to 123,864 tons, or 51 per cent of the total, all of which was crude petroleum. Chile ranked second as a source of imports with 25,318 tons, or 10.5 per cent of the total. Nitrates aggregating 22,129 tons and copper 3,184 tons comprised this trade. Imports from Germany were third in importance with 22,145 tons or 9.5 per cent of the total. This trade was made up of a variety of commodities, principal among which was potash. This article also constituted the bulk of trade from Belgium which ranked fourth with 15,088 tons, or 6.4 per cent of the total. Of the commodities comprising the balance, gypsum from Canada, 10,035 tons; molasses from Cuba, 3,302 tons; and iron ore, sulphur, and pyrites from Spain, 7,190 tons, were the most important.

The export trade tabulation shows a total of 4,027,996 long tons of exports through Norfolk-Portsmouth during 1921. Italy received 708,116 tons, or 17.5 per cent of the whole, practically all of which was coal. The United Kingdom ranked second with 645,713 tons, or 15.9 per cent of the total. Of this amount, 507,862 tons were coal and coke; 61,655 tons, tobacco; 20,626 tons, raw cotton; and 11,983 tons, logs and lumber. Brazil with 345,927 tons, or 8.5 per cent, was third in importance; Argentina with 308,618 tons, or 7.6 per cent, fourth; followed by Panama Canal Zone with 231,402 tons, or 5.7 per cent, and the Canary Islands with 155,544 tons, or 3.8 per

37,652

OCEAN

CAPE

27,059

cent. These tonnages consisted almost entirely of coal. A more diversified export trade was carried on with the United Kingdom, Germany, Holland, and Belgium, and with Far East destinations.

Newport News.-A total of 18,420 long tons of imports are shown by the table compiled by the Shipping Board. Wood pulp, amounting to 13,471 tons, comprises about 73 per cent of this trade. Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Germany contributed 9,450 tons, the balance, or 4,201 tons, coming from the Atlantic coast of Canada. Crude petroleum from Mexico amounting to 2,884 tons, or 15 per cent of the total, ranked second. The remainder of the import trade, or about 12 per cent, came principally from the United Kingdom and the West Indies and consisted of clays, tobacco, and general merchandise.

The export table shows a total of 2,229,498 long tons clearing through Newport News during 1921. Practically all of this was coal, other commodities being equal to about one-half of 1 per cent of the total. The chief market for coal from this port was the United Kingdom, 551,227 tons, or 26 per cent of the total, being exported to that destination. This coal was required to relieve the shortage in the British supply caused by a protracted miners' strike. This fact also accounted for a greater demand for American coal throughout Europe. Argentina took 236,205 tons, or 11 per cent of the total; Egypt 229,790 tons, or 10.5 per cent; and the West Indies 218,300 tons, or 10 per cent. Coal was shipped in large quantities to practically every important port in Europe and South America, and to Africa and New Zealand.

Although small in comparison with coal exports, trade in other commodities reached reasonably large totals. Next to coal, the principal article of export was grain, a total of 17,490 tons having been shipped. The United Kingdom took 8,364 tons; Germany and Holland 9,135 tons, and small quantities were exported to Sweden. and Brazil. Tobacco exports ranked next with a total of 13,086 tons, the United Kingdom taking 6,289 tons; Holland and Belgium 1,100 tons; Australia 2,575 tons and China 2,162 tons.

Other important exports were 8,717 tons of iron and steel articles, 8,260 tons of lumber, 5,432 tons of wheat flour, 2,354 tons of vegetables, and 9,495 tons of general merchandise, all to the United Kingdom. Large exports of vegetables and general merchandise were also made to Germany and Holland, while Australia took 13,746 tons of miscellaneous articles.

Origin of principal imports through the ports of Norfolk and Portsmouth, Va., dur the calendar year 1921