222 AMERICAN LUMBER IN FOREIGN MARKETS. 



AMERICAN LUMBER IN FRANCE. 



Consul Germain, of Zurich, writes September 25, 1895: I have the 

 honor to inform you that my report on u Swiss Market for American 

 Woods," printed in Consular Reports Fo. 175 (April, 1895), pages 

 509-515, has been copied and published by several French and German 

 trade journals, and thus circulated among interested European parties 

 in that line. I am in receipt this day of a letter, which I inclose, and, 

 translated, reads about as follows : 



MAUBEUGE, NORD, FRANCE, September 23, 1895. 

 Mr. EUGENE GERMAIN, 



United States Consul, Zurich, Switzerland: 



We know that you have made a special and very complete study of the question 

 of American woods. Would it please you to cause useful information to be given us 

 to facilitate our wood importations ? As the first important point, we can inform you 

 that our firm can, if need be, furnish a guaranty of 1,000,000 francs ($200,000). This 

 is said to indicate to exporters that they can be at full ease as regards our solvency 

 or responsibility. 



Thanking you in advance, etc., we remain, 



LEGRAND & JEANNESSON. 



This letter, if given publicity, would, I believe, result in business to 

 some of our wood exporters. 



AMERICAN LUMBER IN SWITZERLAND. 



In looking over the Swiss custom-house statistics I find that, although 

 most of the cantons of this mountainous country have extensive and 

 fine forests, they are not sufficient to supply Switzerland with the neces- 

 sary timber and lumber. In fact this country imported last year (1893) 

 18,200,099 francs ($3,502,619) of wood and manufactures of wood, while 

 the exports of the same amounted only to about 4,000,000 francs 

 ($772,000). showing a surplus of imports over exports of over 14,000,000 

 francs ($2,762,000), in which amount the United States participated 

 only with 189,679 francs ($36,608). 



It is evident that the United States could secure a greater share of 

 this Swiss trade, and in order to find out how the Swiss market could 

 be extended to our products in this line I addressed communications to 

 some of the interested parties, viz, dealers and importers in wood and 

 manufacturers of boats, carriages, furniture, etc., housebuilders, etc., 

 asking their opinion. I now beg to submit, for the benefit of our peo- 

 ple in that line of trade, what parties here say regarding the kinds of 

 wood required, prices, etc. I also add a tabulated statement showing 

 the total Swiss imports during 1893 of the different kinds of lumber, 

 timber, etc., compared with the imports from the United States during 

 the same period, the principal sources of supply, and customs duties. 



