TERRITORY TRIBUTARY

According to statistics compiled especially for this report by the United States Maritime Commission, Beaumont's foreign water-borne commerce during the calendar year 1938 totaled 849,245 tons of 2,240 pounds of which all but 4,371 tons were exports. Traffic with noncontiguous territories-Puerto Rico-amounted to 19,881 tons of which 19,767 tons were out-bound and 114 tons in-bound. Intercoastal water-borne trade totaled 7,891 tons, 5,758 tons of which were east-bound and 2,133 tons west-bound.

EXPORT TRADE

Slightly more than 90 percent or 762,809 tons of the port's export commerce consisted of petroleum and its products. Of this tonnage, crude oil of 686,174 tons constituted almost 90 percent. Principal importers of crude oil were Newfoundland-222,707 tons, Italy 204,807, Argentina 105,615, France 104,702, and Cuba 39,109 tons. Combined, these five countries received 98 percent of all crude oil shipments from this port. Clean oil amounting to 63,806 tons found destination principally in the Canal Zone, 22,001 tons, Netherlands 11,948 tons, Italy 11,687 tons, Senegal, 9,069 tons, and Brazil 5,767 tons.

Second ranking export during 1938 was scrap metal totaling 32,413 tons, of which the United Kingdom imported 17,055 tons, Japan 9,391 tons, and the Netherlands 4,974 tons. These three countries absorbed nearly 97 percent of shipments of this material.

Wood and wood products of 29,214 tons were the third most important export during 1938 and enjoyed wide distribution. Principal markets for these products were the United Kingdom which took 17,032 tons, followed by Belgium with 2,959 tons, Netherlands 1,700 tons and Egypt 1,680 tons.

Of the 9,484 tons of rice and rice product exports, 6,090 tons were taken by Cuba, 2,000 tons by Argentina, 608 tons by the Netherlands and 602 tons by the United Kingdom. The above countries took approximately 98 percent of all rice and rice products shipped in foreign trade during 1938.

The above four commodity classifications comprised nearly 98 percent of Beaumont's export traffic.

From the standpoint of tonnage Newfoundland ranked first as a market for Beaumont's 1938 export traffic having imported 222,707 tons, all crude oil.

Italy's imports, amounting to 218,491 tons consisting entirely of petroleum and wood and their products placed that country as the second most important market.

Argentina, in third position, received 108,413 tons made up entirely of petroleum and products, rice, and forest products.

Of the 105,596 tons imported by France during the year under discussion, 105,356 tons were crude and clean oil.

Cuba with 46,727 tons and the United Kingdom 37,809 tons ranked fifth and sixth, respectively. The former's tonnage consisted largely of crude oil-39,109 tons, rice 6,090 tons and forest products 1,441 tons while exports to the latter were widely diversified with forest products and scrap metal predominating.

Tonnage to the six countries mentioned above totaled a little more than 85 percent of Beaumont's exports during 1938.

IMPORT TRADE

Beaumont's imports during the calendar year 1938 amounted to only 4,371 tons of which newsprint paper from Finland comprised 3,919 tons. Other commodities were: animal fertilizer 228 tons, peat moss 22 tons, and general cargo 9 tons from Germany; returned oil drums 109 tons from the Dominican Republic; and cement 84 tons, from Belgium.

NONCONTIGUOUS TRADE

Traffic between Puerto Rico and Beaumont during the calendar year 1938 totaled 19,881 tons, of which 19,767 tons were shipped from Beaumont and 114 tons received at that port. Logs, lumber, and lumber products aggregating 13,341 tons constituted a little more than two-thirds of the out-bound movement. Most of the remaining tonnage was made up of rice and flour which amounted to 4,444 and 1,507 tons, respectively.

In-bound traffic consisted of three items, namely coconuts, 80 tons; miscellaneous general cargo, 32 tons; and rum, 2 tons.

INTERCOASTAL TRADE

Beaumont's intercoastal traffic during the calendar year 1938 totaled 7,891 tons of which 5,758 tons or 73 percent were east-bound and 2,133 tons west-bound.

Over 85 percent of the east-bound movement consisted of sugar and molasses (2,088 tons), fruits and vegetables (1,765 tons), and lumber (1,152 tons). San Francisco Bay ports (San Francisco, Oakland, Ala

meda) and Stockton contributed over two-thirds of this tonnage of which sugar, fruits, and vegetables comprised the preponderant part. Most of the east-bound lumber originated in Washington ports headed by Port Angeles with 753 tons.

California ports with 4,168 tons were the principal sources of eastbound traffic of which San Francisco contributed 2,938 tons and Stockton 762 tons.

Slightly more than two-thirds of the west-bound movement consisted of lumber totaling 1,430 tons. All of this tonnage was discharged at California ports headed by Los Angeles with 979 tons and San Francisco with 704 tons. Other important commodities shipped intercoastal during 1939 were dry grain products, 370 tons and iron and steel 177 tons.

The following tables give in detail the origin and destination of Beaumont's foreign, noncontiguous and intercoastal commerce for the calendar year 1938.

Origin of imports entering Beaumont, Texas, during calendar year 1938

Destination of noncontiguous water-borne exports through Beaumont during calendar