COMMERCE

During the 10-year period 1927-36 the water-borne commerce at the port of Everett averaged 2,335,374 tons per annum, reaching its peak in 1930 with a total of 3,595,789 tons. In both 1931 and 1932 there were decided decreases in the tonnages handled, the figure for the latter year being only 1,161,455 tons, but in the remaining years of the period the traffic steadily increased ending the decade with 2,920,949 tons in 1936. The commerce consists largely of lumber and other forest products, the average annual tonnage reported under the classification "Wood and paper" being 2,215,177 tons, or more than 95 percent of the entire traffic. In addition to logs and lumber, such items as wood pulp, plywood, shingles, laths, hogged fuel, millwork, pulpwood, and paper comprised a considerable volume of this tonnage. Other items of traffic are shown in the table on pages 55-59 and the relative importance of the principal commodities in the various classes of traffic is shown by the graph on page 59.

IMPORTS

Imports constituted only 3.1 percent of the water-borne commerce during the period with an annual average movement of 72,706 tons. Over 95 percent of the imports consisted of logs, the remainder of the traffic being comprised of nitrate of soda, china clay, products of wood and paper, fish, and other miscellaneous items. Imports of logs were much less during the last half of the period, dropping from the high of 138,522 tons in 1930 to 14,568 tons in 1934, with only slight gains over the latter figure during the 2 years following. Imports of other commodities also decreased during the last 5 years of the period.

EXPORTS

During the 10-year period under discussion the export traffic at Everett averaged 138,625 tons per year, and accounted for 5.9 percent of the total trade of the port. Lumber, lumber products, logs, and wood pulp accounted for 98.6 percent of this class of traffic, the remainder consisting of several miscellaneous items, none of which was exported in any great quantity. As was the case in connection with import traffic, the export trade declined greatly during the last half of the period.

COASTWISE RECEIPTS

Coastwise receipts comprised 21.5 percent of the total port traffic during the period with an average annual movement of 502,293 tons.

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As shown by the graph on page 59, products of the forests comprised more than 88 percent of the entire tonnage received in the coastwise trade. Petroleum products and sulphur were other important items in the traffic, as well as sand and gravel. During the latter part of the period there has been a steadily increasing movement of such items as sulphur, and of chemicals including sodium compounds, soaps and cleansers, and alum.

COASTWISE SHIPMENTS

Coastwise shipments, which comprised 22.5 percent of the total port traffic during the 10 years, consisted almost entirely of lumber and other forest products. There was an average of 12,673 tons of paper shipped coastwise per year from Everett during the period.

INTERNAL AND LOCAL TRAFFIC

Internal and local traffic averaged 1,097,784 tons per year during the period and comprised 47 percent of the total traffic of the port. It consisted principally of logs, lumber, hogged fuel, sand and gravel, and of smaller quantities of lime and lime rock. Rafted and barged logs comprised 84.5 percent of the internal and local traffic.