540 COMMERCE YEARBOOK 
(see general note, page 533). American vessels represented slightly 
less than one-fourth of the total entrances (tonnage) in the earlier 
period, over 43 per cent in 1924, and 40.3 per cent in 1925. While 
the total tonnage clearing in foreign trade has increased about one-half 
over the pre-war years, tonnage with cargo increased only slightly over 
one-third. This fact is attributed wholly to the great growth in our 
imports of petroleum from Mexico. Vessels in this trade generally 
must clear from the United States in ballast. Total clearances in 
1925 were 70,228,000 tons, exceeding those of 1924 by 1.9 per cent. 
The Lake ports in 1925 showed no marked change in entrances or 
clearances in comparison with the previous two years, the changes in 
total tonnage being chiefly in seaport traffic. 
Volume of Water-Borne Foreign Commerce. 
Despite the increase in capacity of ships clearing, the weight of the 
water-borne exports of the United States, totaling 48,091,000 tons in 
1925, was 8 per cent less than in 1924, largely because of smaller 
shipments of wheat and flour. Imports by water increased, amounting 
to 42,686,000 tons, or 4 per cent more than in 1924, despite smaller 
imports of petroleum, the biggest item. The proportion of traffic 
moving from Atlantic coast ports gained during the year (Table 29). 
These ports accounted for 60 per cent of our total imports by weight 
and 4314 per cent of our exports, compared with 59 and 41 per cent, 
respectively, in 1924, 
The decline in the proportion of ocean-borne dry cargoes exported 
in American flag vessels continued during 1925, when 30 per cent of 
the total was so carfied compared with 32 per cent in 1924 (Table 
30). The proportion of imports of dry cargoes carried in vessels of 
American registry, also decreased to 28 per cent compared with 32 
per cent in the preceding year. The American proportion of the 
combined totals for all cargoes is much affected by changes in the 
aggregate volume of tanker petroleum traffic and in the share of that 
traffic carried bv American flag vessels. 
Table 29.—Weight of Cargo of Water-Borne Foreign Trade, by Districts 
[In thousands of long tons; calendar year] 
District 
Total....... in 
To or from— 
North Atlantic distriet..__....._ 
South Atlantic district... ....... 
Gulf district .oocen anno 
Pacific district... ceeeao.. 
Great Takes distriet_______ 
1029 
14. RS 
R, 018 
. 090 
024 
814 
ido 
Imports 
1923 | 1924 | 1925 
13 2GR 
40, 893 
49 B88 
24,270 
1, 560 
10, N28 
7-04 
19 
12, 351 
1,726 
9, 889 
2, 585 
1 248 
23, 676 
2,085 
8, 522 
2, 580 
¥ 200 
Exports 
16822 
1003 | 1924 | 
19 B09 
49 ORO 
K2 941 
18,660 20,714 
786 C7 
10,584 10, : 
5,465 8,472 
a gor | 8 268 
20, 696 
822 
19, 805 
9, 360 
8 578 
18925 
48, 091 
ad 
19, 904 
1,023 
£2, 206 
8, 036 
8 099 
Source: Bureau of Research, United States Shipping Board.