202 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



[March 1, 1911. 



FOREIGN MARKETS FOR RUBBER TIRES. 



IX a recent issue of the Daily Consular and Trade Reports 

 *■ the subject "Markets for Rubber Tires" is discussed in 

 reports of United States consuls from all parts of the world. 

 The salient facts embodied in some of these reports, we 

 reproduce, as likely to prove instructive to those of our 

 readers who may be interested in the establishment of an 

 export trade in their goods. 



The consul-general at Moscow says, "The Russian market 

 for solid tires is undoubtedly the largest in the world, though 

 yet in its infancy. The demand tor pneumatic tires is grow- 

 ing with the large increase in the automobile and bicycle 

 trade." The report gives statistics as to the imports of auto- 

 mobiles and parts via European and Asiatic frontiers, par- 

 ticulars as to the leading rubber manufacturing companies 

 in Russian and their output, the means adopted by other 

 countries to secure a share of the trade and sources of 

 tire supply, tells why Americans do not share in the trade, 

 and how they may obtain part of it. 



From Germany, the consul-general at Hamburg reports as 

 to the duty on tires, the steps taken by manufacturers of 

 other countries to secure a share in the trade, and offers 

 suggestions as to how the market could be entered. The 

 consul-general at Frankfort-on-Main quotes prices at which 

 tires of German and French make are sold there, which he 

 says, a foreign firm, introducing tires, would have to meet 

 and depend on the superiority of their goods to win them 

 a trade. 



".\n excellent field in this consular district for the sale 

 of rubber goods," is reported by the consul at Carlsbad, 

 .\ustria, who instances complaints as to the quality of the 

 tires purchasable there, as affording a good basis for the 

 introduction, at a reasonable figure, of good American tires. 

 He gives some points as to the best plan for reaching the 

 market in Austria-Hungary. 



The consul-general at Marseilles, France, reports remark- 

 able success in the sale of an ."Xmerican pneumatic tire in that 

 market. American makes of solid tires also take the lead 

 there, although they are being steadily displaced by the 

 pneuinatic. To get trade it would be necessary, in his 

 opinion, to open a depot in Paris. 



From Johannesburg. South Africa, the consul reports that 

 "in point of population that city offers one of the best 

 markets in the world for rubber tires, not only for automo- 

 biles, but for motorcycles and bicycles." He gives the num- 

 ber of motor cars licensed in the municipality, in the first 

 months of 1910, at 700, not including the outlying towns and 

 district of the "Reef," where the number of cars would raise 

 the total to considerably over 1,000. He reports the tires 

 sold mostly of European make, but a few of the garages stock 

 American tires and occasional orders for them are given by 

 general dealers. The monthly turnover in automobile tires 

 in the district is placed by him at $30,000 to $35,000. In 

 addition, there are 471 licensed motorcycles and 22,000 bi- 

 cycles in use in Johannesburg alone, but being mostly of 

 English make they are equipped with English tires. There 

 is also a good demand for rubber tires for carriages. The 

 American share of the business is at present insignificant, 

 but could, in the consul's opinion, be increased by the estab- 

 lishment of a central depot, for the supply of the trade. 



The consul-general at Santo Domingo, reports bicycles 

 quile extensively used in the Dominican Republic, and many 

 of the livery carriages, of a light surrey type — most of them 

 imported from the United States — which in the absence of 

 .street cars are used for passenger conveyances, as having 

 rubber tires. Although rubber tires do not wear well and 

 soon need repairs, the facilities for doing this work are re- 

 ported as poor. 



From the above, it is easy to gather that there are plenty 

 of opportunities in foreign markets, for the introduction of 

 American rubber tires, if the manufacturers of the United 

 States would expend, on their possibilities, a little of the 

 energy they put forth to secure, against strenuous competi- 

 tion, a less important and much less profitable amount of busi- 

 ness at home. 



The following table of sales of automobiles and parts, made 

 by United States manufacturers, to customers in foreign 

 countries, for the past three years, compiled by the Depart- 

 ment of ComiTierce and Labor, is calculated to interest rubber 

 tire manufacturers. It shows, in the first place, the magni- 

 tude of the export business done in these goods, in the sec- 

 ond its remarkable growth and it also indicates the countries 

 in which there is likely to be a field for the introduction of 

 meritorious products of this character; 



Countries. 1908. 1909. 1910. 



United Kingdom $1,728,704 $2,059,210 $2,755,592 



France 56a449 846,136 753.204 



Germany 158,979 181.087 331,754 



Italy ..■......■•.:;■...-...:.....:... 248,519 224,068 377,750 



Other Europe 217,172 335.675 764,463 



Canada 1.115,540 2.437.042 5,021,043 



Mexico ■.. ,■■• 312,603 494,238 689.903 



West Indies 198,078 337,414 412,588 



South America 126,285 240.453 519,160 



British Oceania 87,543 303,452 748,933 



Other .A.sia and Oceanic. 0... 129,968 191,448 599,756 



Other countries v. . . 64.754 136,394 216,150 



Total .$4,948,594 $7,786,617 $13,190,296 



A NOTE OF WIST)OM H.\S BEEN STRUCK IN BUTTE, MONTAN.^. They 



have a city ordinance there^differing from most city ordinances, 

 in that the police assume to enfo"- -e it — which requires the placing 

 of rubber matting over coal-hole covers and other pieces of 

 smooth iron in the sidewark during the season of snow and 

 slipperiness. A highly sensible and humane provision; for if 

 there is any device calculated to effect a violent encounter between 

 the sidewalk and the back of a man's head it is the polished coal- 

 hole cover when disguised by a half inch of snow. Other cities 

 in the snow belt might very properly follow the Butte lead, ex- 

 tending the law to cover sidewalks with glass settings, devised 

 especially in the interest of the bone experts. Rubber matting on 

 the slippery places of life would save many a man from coming 

 down and help the matting market to move steadily up. 



The Agricultural Department of Java estimates the total 

 area planted to caoutchouc on that island at about 36,770 hectares. 

 Of this, 25,550 hectares are planted to Hevea brasilieusis, 6,430 to 

 Ficiis clastica, and 17,050 hectares to Manihot glaciozni, Castilloo 

 elastica, etc. 



waterproof clothing for the FRENCH ARMY. 



FtR some time pa.'^t, the French military authorities have had 

 in view the furnishing of rubber mantles to the officers. On the 

 occasion of the last manceuvers in Picardy, experiments have again 

 been made, with a new pattern, which, although no official notice 

 of its acceptance has been made, is said to have proved very 

 satisfactory. The new pattern suggested, is a very short mantle, 

 fitting closely over the field uniform of the officers and made of 

 a black, rubberized fabric. The closure in front is almost in- 

 visible, and is based on a pres.s-button method, the collar rises 

 high and is half stiff. This new pattern, which, as already 

 stated, has a prospect of acceptance, is at once more elegant and 

 cheaper than those hitherto suggested. German manufacturers 

 of rubberized clothing fabrics, says the Gumini-Zeitung, may 

 possibly find great interest in regard to the possibility of this 

 general supply of officers' mantles and give it their full attention. 

 Undoubtedly they would be in a position, in connection with this 

 supply, to enter into profitable competition. 



