As
will be seen by comparing the imports of platinum for 1917 and 1918 as
shown by the tables above, except for the 21,000 ounces of Eussian
platinum, the great bulk of the supply came from South America,
principally Colombia, which sent 30,543 ounces to the United States in
1918. The platinum imported from Panama is presumably of Colombian
origin, and that imported from China and Japan is no doubt Russian.
Europe supplied only 771 ounces during 1918, as compared with 5,511
ounces in 1917.
MARKET AND PRICES.
REFINED METALS.
The
open-market price for platinum in January was $105 to $108 an ounce.
The price of platinum rose slightly in February, but in March and April
it remained stationary at $108 an ounce. Palladium at the beginning of
the year was $135 an ounce, but the price rose from $140 on March 2 to
$145 to $150 at the end of the month and remained at $150 an ounce
until May. Iridium is rarely quoted, but in April it was reported to be
selling at $150 an ounce. In May
