Steamship lines

FOREIGN

TERRITORY TRIBUTARY

FOREIGN TRADE

According to statistics prepared especially for this report by the Division of Research, United States Maritime Commission, foreign commerce of Grays Harbor for the calendar year 1936 amounted to 257,583 cargo tons comprised entirely of export cargo. Forest products accounted for 98 percent of the total movement, an indication that the territory which the port serves is limited to timber stands in the vicinity of the port. The fact that there were no imports and that in the intercoastal trade receipts were insignificant in comparison with shipments handicaps the port in the development of direct steamship services.

Exports. The trade was distributed among 18 different countries or political divisions with Japan and China affording by far the greatest market, having received approximately 80 percent, followed by Peru, England, and Belgium in the order named. Logs and lumber totalling 228,580 tons were the most widely distributed products with Japan the leading importing country, having received about 54 percent. Japan also ranked first in importation of paper stock and manufactures which amounted to 24,665 tons, and of iron and steel scrap, having accounted for 99 percent of the former and the entire movement of the latter.

INTERCOASTAL TRADE

Intercoastal commerce of Grays Harbor for the period under discussion amounted to 136,788 cargo tons, of which 129,945 tons, or 95 percent, were out-bound and 6,843 tons, or 5 percent, were in-bound.

Out-bound (east-bound) traffic.-Logs and lumber and paper stock and manufactures comprised 99 percent of eastbound traffic. The principal receiving ports in the lumber trade were New York with 42,000 tons, Boston with 40,300 tons, and Philadelphia with 20,000 tons, other important ports of discharge being Baltimore, Wilmington, Del.; Albany, Providence, and New York.

Boston, to which 60 percent of the shipments of paper stock and manufactures were billed, offered the largest market for this commodity while Newport News and Norfolk were also important receiving centers.

In-bound (west-bound) traffic.-Of the in-bound tonnage received at the port 6,400 tons consisted of sulphur from Galveston, 438 tons of nonmetallic minerals from Savannah, comprised mostly of clay, and 5 tons of miscellaneous general cargo from Baltimore and Philadelphia.

All of this cargo was consumed locally, the sulphur and clay being consigned to adjacent mills while the miscellaneous cargo was retailed locally.