T II E C U B A It E V I E W 



IV 



PRODUCTION OF ALCOHOL IN CUBA 



Weekly Bulletin, Can f.'o Department oj Trade avd Commerce. 



Although Cuba is not a large producer of alcohol al present, there is an op- 

 portunity to make ihis one of the leading Industries of the island because of the 

 large production of sugar. From the manufacture of a ton of sugar W gallons of 

 molasses, or miel, result; from the latter, 10 gallons of alcohol of the firsl quality 

 can be produced. The estimated production of sugar in Cuba for this season is 



abOUl I. UKKMuns. 



Efforts are now being made i<» establish l<» plants, situated .-it convenienl loca- 

 tions <ni the island, and fitted with the latesl improved machinery. Large quantities 

 of miel are shipped i<> the United statos mid oilier countries in tank steamers and 

 (auk cars. Before the war it sold as low as 2 cents a gallon, hut since then the 

 price has horn as high as 10 cents a gallon. 



The following table shows the exports of miel from 1912 to 1916, inclusive, with 

 the count ries of destinal ion : 



Countries 1B12 1913 191 I 1015 1916 



Gallons Gallons Gallons Gallons Gallons 



United States 35,423,484 42,382,685 62,367,741 82,886,767 115,120,986 



Netherlands 3,043,450 1,440,000 1,455,000 



United Kingdom 17,297,476 17,127,500 20,830,000 18,328,912 13,475,473 



Germany 1,225 2,566 



Total 55,765,635 60,952,741 8 1,652,997 101,215,679 128,506, 159 



Alcohol made from miel, after supplying local demand, is exported in consid- 

 erable quantities. Exports of alcohol from Cuba for live years, 1912 to 1010, and 

 the average price a gallon received each year are as follows: 



Price 



Total per 



Year Gallons Value Gallon 



1912 200,518 $50,130 $0.2.-, 



1913 220.47S 52,871 .2'.', 



1914 1 TP.,041 .".1 ,084 .IS 



1915 4is,r,2:'. io:V)7».°, .46 



191fi 2,r,70,?,20 1 ,800,535 .70 



PAINT AND VARNISH MARKETS IN CUBA 



Cuba is the United States' best paint customer, except Canada, in the Western 

 Hemisphere, according to a recent report in '•Commerce Reports." Our paint exports 

 to Cuba are more than to all of the other Latin Republics of North America; they 

 are 50 per cent, more than to Argentina, our best customer in South America; 

 they are more than to all the South American countries, excluding Argentina 

 and Brazil. In 101.°. exports from this country to Cuba were valued at $444,595; in 

 TOPS they were almost four times this amount, the total for that year being $1,6G0,22S. 

 In the first half of the 1010 fiscal year exports of this commodity were more than 

 half of the TOP'S figures, indicating a continued increase. 



The item of greatest value in this class of exports to Cuba is ready-mixed paints. 

 For seven years Cuba has bought more American ready-mixed paint than has any 

 other country in the world. The shipments of white lead to Cuba are slightly more 

 in quantity, though their value is only a tenth of that of the mixed paints. The 

 exports of oxide of zinc to Cuba are also considerable, and the shipments of mis- 

 cellaneous paints and colors amount to more than a third of the total. The 1910 



