382 DEPARTMENTAL llEPORTS. 



Our agricultural imports from Hawaii during 1902 were valued at 

 $24,000,000, showing a marked decline as compared with 1901, when 

 a value of $27,G37,C00 was recorded. A falling off in the value of the 

 sugar imported, caused by lower prices, accounted largely for the 

 decline. 



PUBLICATIONS. 



Owing to the large amount of time required to conduct the growing 

 correspondence of the office and to meet the various demands for trade 

 information, fewer publications than usual were prepared during the 

 past year. 



The principal publication of the year was a report on the agricul- 

 tural import trade of the United Kingdom. The object of this report 

 was to show how extensively our imports to the British market are 

 obliged to meet the competition of products from other exporting 

 countries, and to suggest opportunities along certain lines for the 

 extension of our trade in that market. 



Reports like those issued in previous years were published, dealing 

 respectively with the distribution of our agricultural exports and the 

 sources of our agricultural imports. 



A report was also published, according to the annual custom of the 

 office, reviewing the general features of our foreign trade in agricul- 

 tural products during the past year, and comparing the status of our 

 agricultural imports and exports with that of preceding j'ears. 



The last mentioned report was supplemented, as in previous years, 

 by a brief circular presenting the most important statistical facts 

 regarding our agricultural trade. 



PLANS FOR THE CURRENT YEAR. 



As suggested above, it is the purpose of the office to give special 

 attention during the present year to the study of trade conditions and 

 methods abroad, not only in the leading importing countries that fur- 

 nish the world's greatest markets, but also in the principal exporting 

 countries with which we have to compete in our contest for those 

 markets. 



In the matter of publications, a leading feature of the work will be 

 the preparation of reports after the plan of that recently issued on 

 the agricultural import trade of the United Kingdom. Similar bulle- 

 tins will be i^repared in due course as regards Germany, the Nether- 

 lands, France, and other countries. 



The information com.piled in reference to our trade in forestry prod- 

 ucts will be utilized in a special report to be issued on that subject. 



Bulletins similar to those previously published on the sources of 

 our agricultural imports and the distribution of our agricultural 

 exports will be issued as usual. 



The bulletin lieretofore published annually under the title of "Our 

 foreign trade in agricultural products" will hereafter be condensed 

 into smaller form and issued as a circular, doing away with the yearly 

 circular entitled "Agricultural imports and exports." 



CHANGE IN ORGANIZATION. 



In accordance with a provision of the last agricultural appropria- 

 tion bill, this office will hereafter be known as the Division of Foreign 

 Markets instead of the Section of Foreign Markets. 



