INDEX TO CONTENTS Water-borne commerce of the United States during the calendar year 1923. Table No. 1. Comparative statement of the total water-borne com- Table No. 4. Summary showing total water-borne commerce, by grand divisions, eliminating all known duplications... Table No. 9. Commerce on the canals and connecting channels. Table No. 10. Ferry traffic and cargoes in transit on rivers, canals, Table No. 11. Commerce of ports, segregated by classes of commodi- Tables Nos. 15 to 29, inclusive. Receipts and shipments of principal Comparative statements of commerce for preceding years and detailed INTRODUCTION In consequence of the increased interest in water-borne commerce and the great demand for information in relation thereto, it was decided in 1919 to publish in a separate volume of the annual report the commercial statistics which had previously been printed with reports of the district engineers in the annual report of the Chief of Engineers. The present compilation is the fifth edition of commercial statistics and covers the calendar year 1923. The separate publication of this information not only affords greater convenience to the reader, but also secures increased economy in the printing and distribution of the report and conserves the supply of those volumes devoted to other subjects. Statistics published prior to 1919 were confined to localities under improvement by the United States, but since that time the information has been extended to include many other localities. The data have been compiled under a uniform plan which permits the preparation of summaries by geographical divisions, commodities, and classes. Summaries have also been prepared showing the total foreign and domestic traffic and the tonnage and value of the water-borne traffic of the United States, eliminating all known duplications. In addition, tables have been prepared showing the tonnage of important commodities carried by water during the calendar year 1923. It is the desire of the Chief of Engineers to make this publication of increasing usefulness and interest, and with this object in view improvements and extensions will be made from time to time for the purpose of making it of greater value in the study of port and transportation problems. VII WATER-BORNE COMMERCE OF THE UNITED STATES DURING THE CALENDAR YEAR 1923 COMMERCE OF ATLANTIC, GULF, AND PACIFIC PORTS DURING THE CALENDAR YEAR 1923 The figures show a total of 38,682,092 tons of imports, valued at $3,327,011,950, and a total of 44,316,413 tons of exports, valued at $3,842,430,985, making a grand total of 82,998,505 tons of foreign commerce, valued at $7,169,442,935. The average value of the imports was $86 per ton and that of the exports about $87. The coastwise receipts amounted to 86,747,617 tons, valued at $5,055,817,527, an average of $58 per ton, while the coastwise shipments amounted to 90,633,156 tons, valued at $4,272,650,266, with an average value of $47 per ton. It will be noted that the receipts and shipments do not balance, which is probably due in great measure to the fact there is more or less overlapping in the tables showing the commerce at ports and the commerce on rivers and other waterways. A shipment from a port may have its destination in a river, and vice versa, so that in practice the coastwise receipts and shipments will not agree. Other domestic commerce amounted to 183,939,472 tons, valued at $10,889,058,748, having an average value of $59 per ton. The total domestic commerce at Atlantic, Gulf, and Pacific ports was 361,320,245 tons, valued at $19,217,526,541. The grand total of all commerce at these ports was 444,318,750 tons, valued at $26,386,969,476. After eliminating all known duplications the net total tonnage was 263,658,627, with a value of $16,778,206,206. COMMERCE OF THE GREAT LAKES DURING THE CALENDAR YEAR 1923 The figures show a total of 5,705,303 tons on imports, valued at $166,852,284, and a total of 8,954,602 tons of exports, valued at $86,511,669, making a grand total of 14,659,905 tons of foreign commerce, valued at $253,363,953. The average value of imports was $29 per ton, and that of the exports about $10. The domestic receipts amounted to 109,198,479 tons, valued at $1,210,955,616, and shipments to 111,500,173 tons, valued at $1,048,258,824. The average value of receipts was about $11 per ton and that of the shipments about $9. Other domestic commerce amounted to 1,016,640 tons, valued at $1,864,271. The total domestic commerce was 221,715,292 tons, valued at $2,261,078,711, and the grand total of all commerce was 236,375,197 tons, valued at $2,514,442,664. After eliminating all known duplications the net total tonnage on the Great Lakes was 125,517,551 tons, valued at $1,383,903,309. 10710-ENG 1924†-PT 2-2 1 |