THE CUBA REVIEW 41 



SUGAR REVIEW 



Specially written for "The Cuba Review" by Wtllett & Gray, New York. 



Our last review for this magazine was dated February 10th. 



Regarding the New York market Cuba sugars continue to be accepted by the 

 Equalization Board under the Cuban Agreement at 5.88c c. & f. (These sugars are 

 turned over to refiners at 7.28c). Up to this writing shipments arranged for March 

 total about 215,000 tons of Cubas besides some few Porto Ricos, and it is also of 

 interest to note that some 10,000 bags of Haytian sugars have also been accepted at 

 the full duty quotation of 5.64c c. i. f., the regular quotation for full duty paying 

 raws. This is the first lot of Haytian sugars that have ever come to this country 

 with the exception of an occasional very small lot imported in earlier years. With 

 the revival of the industry in Hayti, and the erection of a modern sugar mill, further 

 importations of these sugars will probably be made from time to time. 



The demand for refined sugars has continued light during most of the period 

 under review, but has revived somewhat during the past few days owing to the fact 

 that there has been a strike among the harbor men in the port of New York, which 

 has more or less tied up deliveries of refined sugars to the different railroads, and 

 consequently some buyers thought it best to book some sugars in the event of possible 

 shortage caused by a further tie-up. This situation, however, is now partially cleared 

 up owing to the return to work of many of the men, but conditions as regards export- 

 ing remain unchanged, private lighters being still tied up, and the delivery of export 

 refined to steamers is consequently handicapped. The amount of export business doing 

 has been only moderate. While numerous inquiries have been received the high 

 export price as fixed at 7.82c Net Cash in Bond for Fine Granulated, has prevented 

 business, although for a time there was a fair amount being consummated for Spain, 

 etc. Owing to the cheap prices prevailing for Java and Mauritius sugars, foreign 

 buyers have naturally turned to these markets, and we learn of the sale of Java 

 sugars to several of the European neutrals, and sale is also reported of 5,000 tons of 

 these sugars to Argentina, which country is now eliminated as far as the demand 

 that we might otherwise have experienced from there is concerned. Mauritius sugars 

 to the extent of 5,000 tons have been sold to Belgium, and ship has been chartered 

 to carry same, March shipment, at freight rate of 250 shillings per ton. The value 

 of this cargo delivered at Antwerp is approximately 8.05c per lb. 



The importation of raws since our last report included 5,264 bags of Java sugars, 

 consigned to the Equalization Board, and same have been allocated to The American 

 Sugar Refining Co. The Equalization Board has further commitments of these 

 sugars, and according to our cable of February 22nd an additional 5,000 tons were 

 shipped during January for New York. 



Our latest cable advices from Cuba report 192 centrals now at work in the Island 

 under favorable weather conditions. Arrivals of raws at the shipping ports have 

 continued in large volume, the figure for the week ending February 22nd, say 170,- 

 163 tons, being the largest arrivals on record for any one week. We are today in- 

 formed that the general strike which has prevailed in Cuba during the past week, 

 and had threatened to greatly involve the situation, has not been settled, contrary to 

 the reports which have been received here during the past day or two. 



Our regular cable from the Philippines reports no exports of sugar to the U. S. 

 Atlantic Ports during January, but 4,300 tons were exported to San Francisco during 

 that month. Grinding operations in the Islands have been considerably delayed by 

 the epidemic of influenza which had been exceedingly prevalent. 



Our Domestic Beet Sugar Campaign of 1918-19 is practically over, and we are 

 now assembling the statistics of the final outturn, our last estimate of which was 

 665,000 tons and which figure will undoubtedly prove nearly correct. 



