SUGAR PRODUCTION IN U. S. AND FOREIGN COUNTRIES. 33 



UNITED KINGDOM. 



The United Kingdom, though a very small producer of sugar, plays 

 an important part in the international sugar situation. It is the 

 world's second largest sugar market, and it has been the market for 

 most of the sugar exported from the beet-growing countries of 

 Europe. The imports of sugar are exceeded only by those of the 

 United States. The production of beets and sugar are not given, but 

 must be small, as the area planted to beets varied from 51 acres in 

 1909 to 4,085 in 1913 and 2,334 in 191 4. It can be readily seen that the 

 production of sugar from this small area would supply a very small 

 part of the nation's requirements. Practically all of the beets are 

 grown in the county of Norfolk, which also contains the only sugar 

 factory. 



The exports of sugar from the United Kingdom consist of sugar 

 that has been imported in the raw state and refined or made into 

 candy. The annual average for the decade ending with 1913 was 

 34,982 tons, ranging from 50,252 in 1906 to 26,246 in 1913. The im- 

 ports of sugar consist of nearly equal amounts of raw and refined. 

 The raw sugar imported during the five-year period 1893-1897 con- 

 stituted 52.1 per cent of the total imports, as against 41.4 per cent 

 for 1900-1904 and 52.6 per cent for 1910-1914. The refined sugar im- 

 ported since 1893 came chiefly from the beet-growing countries of 

 Europe. Those same countries also supplied approximately one-half 

 of the raw sugar imported. The cane sugar was supplied chiefly by 

 Egypt, Java, Philippine Islands, Peru, Brazil, and the British 

 colonies of Mauritius, British West Indies, and British Guiana. The 

 two principal European countries contributing to the sugar supply 

 were Germany and Austria-Hungary. During the decade 1894-1903 

 54.5 per cent of the sugar imported came from these two countries, 

 53.5 from Germany and 1.0 from Austria-Hungary. Also the im- 

 ports from Java for this period amounted to 1.6 per cent of the total, 

 and Cuba supplied 1.3 per cent. During the next decade, 1904-1913, 

 this condition was changed. The average annual imports of sugar 

 increased nearly 200,000 tons, while the imports from Germany de- 

 creased approximately 100,000, or 10.3 per cent. The countries of 

 Austria-Hungary, Java, and Cuba each show a large increase. The 

 annual imports from Austria-Hungary during the decade 1904-1913 

 compared with the preceding one increased approximately 250,000 

 tons, or 13.2 per cent. Imports from Java increased 84,000 tons and 

 Cuba 25,000 tons. These four countries supplied slightly less than 

 60 per cent of the sugar during the decade 1894-1903 and approxi- 

 mately two-thirds during the decade 1904-1913. Germany has been 

 the source of nearly one-half of the sugar supply of the United King- 

 dom for the last 20 years. During the 10 years ending with 1903 the 

 62069°— Bull. 473—17 5 



