IS 



THE CUBA EEVIE W 



CUBAN COMMERCIAL MATTERS 



TRADE EXPEDITION 



A trade expedition with unusual fea- 

 tures is being undertaken by Arthur 

 Liebes, of No. 1 Wall St., New York. Mr. 

 Liebes intends to secure information of a 

 specialized sort by means of moving pic- 

 tures of trade conditions. A crew con- 

 sisting of a technical director and two 

 camera men from tbe Eastern Motion Pic- 

 ture Co. of New York accompany him. 

 He will take scenes of interiors and ex- 

 teriors of department stores, drug stores 

 and banking institutions and of all sorts 

 of mercantile activities. These moving- 

 pictures, when completed, will be shown 

 before the Chambers of Commerce and 

 Boards of Trade throughout the United 

 States to show American manufacturers 

 the retail and wholesale selling condi- 

 tions in Cuba. 



In addition to these pictures, Mr. Liebes 

 will interview the leading merchants of 

 the principal cities of Cuba and will in- 

 vestigate on behalf of American firms 

 what chances their products have for be- 

 ing successfully exploited there. 



Mr. Liebes will edit the film into a 

 commercial travelogue of Cuba, to ac- 

 company his talks. 



chases, Cuba spends nearly $225,000,000, 

 or 75 per cent., in the United States. For 

 each additional million of purchasing pow- 

 er which she may acquire we may ex- 

 pect .$750,000 to be expended in this coun- 

 try." 



CUBAN EXPORT TRADE DURING THE WAR 



Cuba prospered more than any other 

 country as a result of the war, accord- 

 ing to a pamphlet entitled "The Island 

 of Prosperity," now being distributed by 

 the Mercantile Bank of the Americas, 44 

 Pine Street, New York. 



"Her exports increased to over $250,- 

 000,000 (1017). At the same time her 

 purchases abroad amounted to $200,000,- 

 000, or just double her previous imports. 



"Statistics for 1918 are not yet com- 

 pleted, but from present indications it 

 is safe to estimate her exports at $375,- 

 000,000, which is the island's foreign pur- 

 chasing power today. It is expected that 

 in 1010 the $400,000,001-) mark will be 

 reached. 



"Of the $300,000,000 of foreign pur- 



MARKET FOR RAW COTTON. COTTON 

 TEXTILES AND COTTON YARNS 



The textile and clothing demands of 

 Cuba are for the most part the same as 

 those of an equal area in the Central or 

 South-Central States during the summer 

 season. Frost is unknown on the island, 

 with the result that cottons and light- 

 weight textiles are worn by both sexes, 

 almost to the exclusion of woolens. 



Trade in this branch can be said to be 

 relatively well organized. Some well- 

 known American concerns have agents 

 stationed here, while others send sales- 

 men regularly to this city, as they would 

 to New Orleans or other cities of the 

 Middle West. Many local concerns send 

 their buyers to New York or to New Eng- 

 land, just as is done by merchants of our 

 own states. The fact that Habana is but 

 101)' miles from Key West, and is of easy 

 access by boat from New York, New Or- 

 leans, and other cities, will in itself sug- 

 gest that its trade has not been over- 

 looked by our traders. The market is, 

 however, an increasing one, and with 

 Cuba's large and profitable sugar inter- 

 ests, coupled with tobacco, mining, stock 

 raising, shipping, and other interests, it 

 may be assumed that the people will be- 

 come increased buyers of a very large 

 range of high-grade merchandise. 



Statistics for the fiscal year 1916-17 

 show that Cuba's imports of manufac- 

 tures of cotton goods for the year amount- 

 ed to $7,416,285. In this total the fol- 

 lowing were the principal countries rep- 

 resented : United States, $?».724,138; 

 Spain, $1,446,905: United Kingdom, $1,- 

 481,886. The total value of twilled goods 

 imported was $3,492,S02. — Consul General 

 If, W. Harris, Hahann. 



