REPORT ON COOPERATION IN AMERICAN
EXPORT TRADE.

SUMMARY.

Under the authority of the act creating it, the Federal Trade Commission
 has completed an extensive investigation of competitive
conditions affecting Americans in international trade. The Commission
 finds:
(1) That other nations have marked advantages in foreign trade
from superior facilities and more effective organizations.
(2) That doubt and fear as to legal restrictions prevent Americans
from developing equally effective organizations for over-seas business
and that the foreign trade of American manufacturers and producers,
particularly the smaller concerns, suffers in consequence.
The Commission appreciates the importance of foreign trade and
realizes the need of enabling American exporters to meet foreign
competitors on more nearly equal terms in international commerce.
It therefore recommends as one of the necessary steps the clarification
of the law so as to permit cooperation among Americans for export
trade.
At the beginning of this century in the three-year period,
1901-1908, the United States ranked first among the countries of the
world in amount of exports, but in the period 1911-1913 it had
yielded first place to England, and Germany had almost overtaken it.
Its increase in export trade during the ten-year period was but 62
per cent, while England's increase was 71 per cent and Germany’s 92.
American exports of foodstuffs, which were very large at the beginning
 of the period, had fallen off by 1911-1913, and while exports
of manufactured products had increased, the increase was not sufficient
 to offset the total gains of Germany and Eneland

ADVANTAGES ENJOYED BY FOREIGN EXPORTERS.

While the United States has been absorbed in domestic development
 other nations have followed definite policies for the expansion
of their foreign trade and have perfected efficient means for the
purpose in view.
Recognizing the vital influence of transportation facilities, foreign
nations have built up their ocean shipping, have granted low export

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