MINERAL PRODUCTS. 
13 
preparations. The exports of these materials amount to over 3 per 
cent of the total usual exports from the United States, their value 
for the fiscal year just closed being over $100,000,000. 
The exportations of petroleum and its products have practically 
ceased for a time, with the exception of an occasional cargo of illumi 
nating oil shipped to some country not in a state of war, especially 
to the West Indies and Mexico. This means the temporary loss to 
the United States of a foreign market, which consumed about one- 
fifth of the oil produced, and its effect has been a still more serious 
disturbance in the conditions of the oil trade. 
Up to a few years ago the imports of petroleum and its products 
into the United States were trifling. In 1912 the imports of crude 
oil from Mexico assumed considerable proportions, amounting to 
145,247,828 gallons. They increased in the following year to 500,- 
000,000 gallons, and in 1914 to 773,052,480 gallons, worth $11,- 
776,737. This Mexican petroleum can be imported to the east coast 
of the United States at very low cost, to be used for fuel, and has 
been of a decided benefit in replacing oil produced in the United 
States, which is capable of higher utilization. The Mexican imports 
will probably continue. In addition benzine and gasoline have for 
several years been imported to the extent of 15,000,000 gallons, valued 
at about $1,000,000, from Borneo to the Pacific coast to make up the 
necessary supply for that region. These importations from Borneo 
will now cease and probably would have ceased in any event, on 
account of the surplus of gasoline now available in that region. 
Mention of the opportunity for domestic manufacture of certain 
medicinal preparations from American petroleum will be found 
under the heading " Other products ” (p. 45). 
METALS. 
THE GENERAL SITUATION. 
Of the metals and metallic ores the United States has been both an 
importer and an exporter. Our imports of iron ore are double our 
exports, whereas of metallic copper we export nearly twice as much 
as we import. The general rule, however, probably is that the im 
ports of manufactured or partly manufactured metals largely exceed 
in value the ores and crude metals brought into this country for 
domestic manufacture, and in our exports a somewhat similar ratio 
exists between crude material and manufactures, so that there is 
presented a double opportunity for increasing the scope and extent 
of our metal industries for both domestic consumption and export. 
Far too much American metal crosses the Atlantic in the crude or 
semicrude state only to come back to us in various manufactured 
forms. 
The smelter industry in this country is in some degree dependent 
on foreign ores and matte. The production of metals from such