AMERICAN LUMBER IN FOREIGN MARKETS. 

 IMPORTS. 



69 



The quantities of lumber imported during the last three years wer*, 

 as follows: 



DUTY. 



The principal obstacle in the way of increasing our trade with Chile 

 is the import duty, which is on rough lumber 15 per cent ad valorem 5 

 dressed and dressed and matched, 25 per cent; veneering, 35 per cent; 

 and the fine woods for cabinetwork free. I may add that the present 

 system of appraising makes the import duty on rough lumber $10.47. 

 and on dressed and dressed and matched $19.46 per 1,000 feet, Chile 

 paper currency (a dollar at the present rate of exchange being worth 

 25 cents United States gold). 



PRICES. 



The prices of lumber are as follows: Oregon pine, rough, $110 per 

 1,000 feet; dressed and matched, $130, and half-inch ceiling, $80; roble, 

 framing, $70; and rauli dressed and matched, $100. 



It is probably safe to say that the American exporter will always find 

 a market in Chile, as the forests, which cover an estimated area of 

 90,000 square miles, consist principally of roble, which, as I have pre- 

 viously mentioned, is not calculated to come in strong competition with 

 American lumber. 



The product of the sawmills in most instances is transported by 

 carts to the railroads for shipment, and as the roads are very bad, 

 lengths of roble longer than 24 feet are seldom sawed. As the rauli 

 tree is a very short one, the lengths are never longer than 12 or 14 feet. 



