FISHERIES AND MARKET FOR FISHERY PRODUCTS IN MEXICO, ETC. 21 



percentage of these come also from the United States. None of 

 this class of goods is reexported. 



As stated before, the only fish products imported from countries 

 other than the United States are sardines. The merchants of La 

 Ceiba claim that the Spanish sardine is not only cheaper than the 

 sardine imported from the United States, but is packed in olive oil, 

 not cottonseed oil, which material they claim is used in the packing 

 of sardines from the States; that sardines packed in oil, the only kind 

 equal to the Spanish sardine, are so expensive that their importation 

 is rendered prohibitive. They also claim that the sardine from 

 Norway is as good as that from the United States and much cheaper, 

 and that the French sardine is put up in much better shape and costs 

 no more. 



If exporters can convince the merchants here that the American 

 sardine compares favorably with sardines from other markets or, 

 failing that, can offer prices which will be slightly under that of 

 the other sardines, it will be an easy matter to drive European 

 competition from this market. This is true for two reasons: First, 

 the element of time is greatly in favor of American exporters, and, 

 second, fully 95 per cent of all the goods used in this vicinity is from 

 the United States, the people being accustomed to the American 

 trade-marks and hking Ainerican goods. 



SALVADOR. 



SAN SALVADOR. 

 [By Lynn W. Franklin, vice consul, September 30, 1921.] 



There are no local fishery products in El Salvador. A small amount 

 of fishery products is imported, but there do not exist any available or 

 reliable statistics showing their kinds and value or country of origin. 

 According to reliable official information none of these imported prod- 

 ucts are reexported. During the war, fishery products were not 

 imported to any extent from Foreign countries other than the United 

 States. From personal inquiries it appears that approximately 

 $100,000 worth of these products is imported annually, of which 25 

 per cent comes from the United States in normal times. 



There is a tariff for certain products from France, Germany, Italy, 

 Belgium, and such other nations having treaties with El Salvador 

 containing the favored-nation clause, and fishery products from the 

 United States pay approximately 25 per cent more than those from 

 such favored nations. American products, such as sardines, canned 

 sahnon, dried cod, etc., which are also produced in foreign countries 

 and imported therefrom mto El Salvador, have to compete with 

 similar products enjoying reduced import duty, as well as to over- 

 come the general impression among the buyers that the Europeans 

 sell a better quality of article, except canned salmon and dried cod. 



NICARAGUA. 



BLUEFIELDS. 



[By Thos. W. Waters, vice consul, September 21, 1921.] 



The principal local fishery products in this district for export are 

 hawksbill and green turtles. Fishing for other species is carried on by 



