212 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



December 1. 1920 



went a change and in 1919, the United States shipped 64 per cent 

 of the total value of pneumatic automobile tires to Brazil, the 

 figures for the different countries now being : United States, 

 3,287 contos; France, 888 contos ; Great Britain and Italy, each 

 482 contos ; other countries, 82 contos. 



NEW COKFAHIES 



A company with a capital of 1,000 contos of reis, operating 

 under the name Industria Brasileira de Borracha, "Berrogain 

 Ltd.," has recently been formed at Rio dc Janeiro. The Brazilian 

 industrial Paul Berrogain and a group of Brazilian and Portu- 

 guese capitalists are at the head of this concern. In 1916 Mr. 

 Berrogain founded the first factory for rubber goods in Brazil, 

 himself doing the technical work in his factory until it became 

 successful. 



A new Belgian company has been formed to undertake the ex- 

 ploitation of various forest products in Brazil, the collection of 

 balata, tlie cultivation of Hevea. The new company — the Societe 

 Generale de Culture et d'Industries Tropicales — has a capital of 

 2,000,000 francs and will be managed from Paramaribo, Dutch 

 Guiana. 



UASSABANDUBA AND BALATA 



The Commercial Museum of Para calls attention to the distinc- 

 tion which must be made between the different varieties of 

 Mimusofs. Both the massaranduba and the balata bearing tree 

 (bullet tree) belong te Mimusops. However, the true balata 

 tree is known as Mimusof's bidentitda A. D, C. — Sapotaccas, 

 while the various massarandubas abounding in certain parts of 

 Brazil belong to Mimusops maparajuba Hub., M. paraensis Hub., 

 and M. Amazonica Hub. These trees, unlike the bullet tree, 

 yield a latex which is resinous and brittle, of little value com- 

 mercially. 



BBAZII, EEGULATES FOREIGN EXCHANGE 



Because of recent unfavorable conditions of foreign e.xchange 

 (quotations on September 9 being S milreis 720 reis to the United 

 States dollar), the Minister of Finance of the Republic of Brazil 

 has ordered the bank controller to issue the following circular 

 to all banks in Brazil : 



In accordance with decree No. 1811. of July 19, the 

 strict observance of the provisions thereof is advised, no 

 selling or buying operation of exchange to be effected 

 without the previous authorization of this office, by de- 

 manding production of the documents considered indis- 

 pensable for the proof of legitimate business. In case 

 of offense, article 2 of said decree provides as a penalty 

 the seizure of the values in question and a fine of 50 

 per cent of the sums. 



You are requested, when called upon to do so, to sup- 

 ply the inspector with all details connected with money- 

 exchange operations, as well as to produce the books 

 and documents of your office for examination; also to 

 prove that the bank's capital has been paid up according 

 to law and that you are strictly obeying the provisions 

 to operate, in order to facilitate the general supervision 

 of the banks by this office according to the provisions 

 of the Brazilian laws, and especially of the decrees of 

 August IS, 1891, and February S, 1892, numbered, 

 respectively, 493 and 727. 



The local manufacture of rubber is being encoirageu by 

 the Government of Brazil, v/hich proposes to advance the con- 

 tractor a loan of 75 per cent of the expense of erecting factories 

 in Fernambuco and Para for the manufacture of tires and other 

 articles of Brazilian rubber. 



Venezuelan imports of tires and tubes during the period 

 January-June, 1919, were 7,592 kilos, valued 116.562 bolivares 

 (one bolivar equals $0,193 United States currency), as against 

 206 kilo3, valued 2,546 bolivares, in the same period of 1918, 

 Imports of other articles of manufactured rubber showed con- 

 siderable decrease in the same periods, totaling 8,829 kilos, valued 

 110,654 bolivares, in 1919, as against 14,095 kilos, values 117.989 

 bolivares, in 1918. 



SOME LATIN AMERICAN RUBBER MARKETS' 



COLOMBIA 



I.MPoKTATio.N >)l ruliber tires into Colombia has been con>tantly 

 gaining during the past few years, and due to the increasing 

 arrivals of automobiles the demand for tires should become still 

 greater. Practically all the tires are imported from the United 

 States by hardware importers and automobile dealers. The 

 greater nutnber imported have been small sizes and of the clincher 

 type. Solid rubber tires for coaches are assessed at the rate of 

 $0.02 per kilo (1 kilo = 2.2 pounds) plus surtax of 2 and 5 per 

 cent. Pneumatic tires are assessed at the same rate as solid tires. 

 In 1913 coach tires were imported chiefly from the United States, 

 with the United Kingdom a second source of supply, but in 1919 

 the United States monopolized this class of imports. In I9I9, 

 pneumatic tires were imported to the value of $23,355. the share 

 of the United States being $22,241. 



The market here is a small one for rubber boots, but a good 

 one for rnbber-soled shoes, especially rubber-soled canvas shoes. 

 The United States furnishes the greater per cent of imports in 

 this class, import duties on rubbers are $1 per kilo; on leather 

 shoes having rubber soles, $1.70 per kilo ; and on canvas shoes 

 with rubber soles, $1.50; all these plus surtaxes of 2 and 5 per 

 cent. Of an import in cotton shoes with rubber soles in 1919 of 

 $8,239. the United States supplied $7,539. 



In the importations of rubber goods for industrial purposes 

 there have licen marked increases. Small supplies are kept on 

 hand by the leading hardware dealers, and their terms are the 

 usual one, two and three months' time. Rubber belting pays a 

 duty of $0.01 per kilo; rubber hose, $0.01 per kilo; rubber washers, 

 $0.20 per kilo : all of these plus surtaxes of 2 and 5 per cent. 



The following table gives the imports of rubber belting, rub- 

 ber hose, and rubber washers and packing for 1913, 1918 and 1919: 



Articles and Sources of Supply 1913 1918 1919 



Rubber belting: 



United States $22 $481 $1,284 



United Kingdom 267 ... ... 



Rubber hose: 



United States 1.408 77S 1,678 



United Kingdom 132 15 £S2 



Germany 38 ... ... 



Rubber washers and packing: 



United States 276 2,241 2,025 



United Kingdom 173 15 



Panama ... 90 



Small quantities of rubber clothing and druggists' sundries are 

 imported. Great Britain supplies the few imports of clothing, and 

 insulated wire and cables come from the United States, imports 

 of the last named being on the increase. Cotton cloth, rubber- 

 coated, pays a duty of $0.90 ; cotton cloth, rubber-coated, for 

 ponchos. $1.10: woolen cloth, rubber-coated, $1.35: plus the usual 

 2 and 5 per cent surtaxes. Rubber, in bulk, purified or not. pays 

 a duty of $0.30 per kilo : hard rubber, vulcanized, for dental uses, 

 $1.30, plus the surtaxes; insulating wire and cables, $0.01; rubber 

 soles and heels. $0.35: nilibcr toys. $0.60; rubber matting. $0.50; 

 rubber friction tape, $0.02; and druggists' sundries pays a duty 

 of $0.25. .Ml plus surtaxes of 2 and 5 per cent. 



DOMINICAN REPUBLIC 



There are no factories producing rubber in this district, nor 

 are statistics available showing the various classes of rubber 

 goods imported, hut the total imports of all manufactures of rub- 

 ber into the Dominican Republic were valued in 1913 at $31,032; 

 in 1917 at $84,266; and in 1918 at $143,976. It is estimated that 

 this district would use about 30 per cent of the total import. 



Iinports consist, for the most part, of tires and tubes, a few 

 rubber soles and heels, and a few druggists' sundries, with 95 per 

 cent of these imports coming from the United States. The only 

 import demand is for rubber tires and tubes. All merchants de- 

 sire long credits, and business usually goes to the house that will 

 grant the longest credits. Motor cars in this district are almost 

 entirely of American make. There are a few motorcycles in use 



' Irom Commerce Reports, No. 229, September 29, 1920. 



