-34 THECUBAREVIEW 



SUGAR REVIEW 



Specially written for The Cuba Review by Willett & Gray, New York, N. Y. 



Since last we wrote you on March 6th, the crop in Caba has b33n progressing favorably 

 and rece-pts of sugar at the shipping ports have been large, but unfortunately, amount of ton- 

 nage obtainable to bring these sugars to the United States, etc., has been limited, consequently 

 the figiu-es of exports have been disappointing. With the commandeering of the Dutch ships, 

 however, a number of which will unioubtjily be pat into sugar-carrying trade between the 

 United States and Cuba, the situation should show improvement, and we are optimistic on the 

 outlook at the present time. Up to this writing the International Sugar Committee have 

 purchased nearly 2,000,000 bags of Cubas for April shipment at 4.985c. c. & f., and large sales 

 are also reported of Port? Ricos at this equivalent, say 6.005c. duty paid, with some small 

 lots of full duty San Domingos, Venezuelas, etc., which should secure ample supplies for 

 our refiners for the next month or so. The season of large consumption is approaching in the 

 United States, and the meltings of sugar here must continue large to keep up with the demand 

 which is expected to set in very soon. The production of sugar in the Island of Cuba has been 

 all that could be asked for, and the main difficulty with which we have had to contend has been 

 the shipping. According to our cable advices on April 6th, the stock of raws in warehouses 

 in the Island amounted to 862,446 tons, against only 640,481 tons last year, with production 

 of the entire Island to March 31st, given as 1,713,678 tans, against 1,588,055 tons last year, 

 and 1,805,292 tons in 1916. Reports that weather conditions have recently improved have 

 been rece ved with satisfaction. 



The shortage of supplies in the United States has been very largely eliminated, and 

 it is only from restricted areas nowadays that reports of any actual scarcity are re- 

 ceived. The price of refined sugar is unchanged at $7.45 per 100 lbs., less 2% in Eastern 

 .sections, but in the West, where there is still a large stock of beet sugar on hand, the quotation 

 for such beet granulated has been reduced to $7.35 less 2%. The question of placing the dis- 

 tribution of cane refined sugars in the United States in the hands of a committee similar to 

 that which has the handling of the raw sugars, is still under discussion, but it is very difficult 

 to arrange a satisfactory method of handling the matter, and with good arrivals of raws and 

 ample supplies of refined the necessity of doing so may be eliminated. 



The domestic beet sugar crop has ended with an outturn of slightly less than 700,000 

 "tons of sugar. 



In Louisiana the fields are in good condition and field work on the new crop is well ad- 

 -vanced. 



We received a cable on March 13th from the Philippine Islands giving total exports of 

 sugar during February as 17,500 tons, of which quantity 7,000 tons will go to the West Coast 

 of the United States, but none is destined for the East Coast. 



A special cable was received by us from Java on March 20th, giving exports during Feb- 

 ruary as 87,000 tons, of which quantity 19,000 tons were destined for Europe, and 68,000 tons 

 to the Far East. Of the 19,000 tons, 13,000 tons were sent to England and 3,000 tons to France. 

 The 1917-18 crop in Java outturned 1,791,034 tons, and the new crop will hardly exceed this 

 tigure. Considerable quantities of Java sugar have been sent to India and there is a large 

 stock of same unsold in Calcutta warehouses at the present time. New crop Java white sugars 

 were offered at 2.66c per lb. f. o. b. for March shipment with freight to San Franc'sco nomi- 

 nally 3.03c. per lb., but owing to the shortage of tonnage and for other reasons the question of 

 bringing Java sugars to the United States has been given up. 



Our refiners have had to furnish considerable quantities of refined sugar both for the Army 

 -and Navy and, at the present tim?, there are in hand orders for Great Britain and France, 

 which must necessarily be filled, thus reducing supplies for the domestic trade temporarily. 



WILLETT & GRAY. 

 New York, N. Y., April 9, 1918. 



