FISHERIES AND MARKET FOR FISHERY PRODUCTS IN MEXICO, ETC. 79 



service of this character, and it is beUeved that more frequent steam- 

 ers will be used later on. 



(g) As a rule Argentina, a great cattle-raising country, has produced 

 beef and mutton so cheaply as to decrease the consumption of either 

 domestic or foreign fish to a considerable extent, especially in the 

 interior of this Republic, to which freight rates from the seaboard are 

 so high. 



(h) The quality of the corresponding European products has 

 generally been considered superior to that of the American. 



(i) The heavy exchange premium that has ruled now for about 16 

 months in favor of the American dollar as against the Argentine 

 paper peso makes business of all kinds here in American products 

 very difficult and in most cases prohibitive, and has correspondingly, 

 of course, favored European competition in almost all lines. 



The possibilities of increasing American imports will be more and 

 more expanded as American products are more and more advertised 

 and handled here by responsible importers and the various brands 

 become better known. There will always be serious competition, 

 however, from Europe in the special articles under discussion. 



WEST INDIES. 



CUBA. 



HABANA. 



[By Theodore M. Fisher, vice consul, August 29, 1921.] 



The principal local fishery products in the Habana consular district 

 are fresh fish, shrimp, oysters, and lobsters, and a small quantity of 

 canned lobsters, squids, oysters, and turtles. The methods employed 

 in obtaining these are practically the same as those in use in the 

 United States. 



Nearly all fish, shrimp, oysters and lobsters are sold fresh; none are 

 dried or cured. It is understood that the methods employed in the 

 small canning factory at Batabano are the same as those used by 

 American canneries. 



No fishery products are exported. Statistics of imports for the 

 last two available years, by kinds, value, and countries of origin, are 

 appended to this report. No imported fish products are reexported. 



Preferential rates of import duty between Cuba and the United 

 States, cheaper freight rates, nearness of the island to the United 

 States and excellent transportation facilities, including a daily car 

 ferry service, give American products a decided advantage over all 

 other foreign fishery products. 



American fishery products are not well advertised in Habana. It 

 would therefore appear that an extensive advertising campaign 

 conducted along the same lines as those in general use in the United 

 States would increase the sale of these products. It is believed that 

 samples of canned salmon, etc., placed in the retail groceries would 

 increase the sale of canned products especially. 



It is stated that the prices of fish products in Cuba are much higher 

 than those in the United States and are not justified, even taking into 

 consideration excessive transportation charges and rates of duty. 

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