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THE CUBA REVIEW 



CUBAN COMMERCIAL MATTERS 



If any of the shoe exporters in the United 

 States are in doubt al:)out the proper form of 

 their invoices or desire to improve the service 

 they may send copies of their invoices to this 

 •consular agency and they will be corrected 

 and returned and such suggestions given as 

 may tend to improve the service. — Consular 

 Agent Dean R. Wood, Nuevitas, Cuba. 



HORSESHOE NAILS IN CUBA 



Horseshoe nails of German and Swiss 

 manufacture are used exclusively in this 

 section of Cuba. They were introduced 

 years ago and have dominated this market 

 •ever since. They are reputed to be much 

 cheaper than the nails of American manu- 

 facture and superior in both flexibiUty and 

 tenacity. They are imported in cases con- 

 taining five boxes of 22 pounds each, gross, 

 each box retaihng at $2.25. No American 

 horseshoe nails are on sale in the retail 

 stores. 



The supply from Europe of nails and other 

 necessities of similar character being practi- 

 •cally cut off at present, it would seem to be 

 an opportune time for American manu- 

 facturers to make a thorough investigation 

 of these conditions with a view to extending 

 their trade. — Consul P. Merrill Griffith, San- 

 tin go de Cuba. 



PHILADELPHIA'S TRADE WITH CUBA 



Both export and import trade between 

 Philadelphia and Cuba have been stimulated 

 by the European war, as shown by the figures 

 given out by the local Custom House. The 

 ■demand from England and France for refined 

 sugar, due to the scarcity of labor, has in- 

 creased the city's importations of the raw 

 l^roduct. 



"While the gain in exports is much smaller 

 than the gain in imports, shipping men view 

 it as a hopeful sign. Most of the growth in 

 exports is due to increased coal shipments. 

 Before the war much coal was supplied by 

 Great Britain, but she now uses ah her mines 

 produce. 



The fiscal year of 1915, which ended June 

 30, shows an increase in imports of $4,746,155 

 •over last year. The exports show a gain of 

 $32,428. The increase in imports was due 

 almost entirely to sugar. Next to this the 



heaviest imports were tobacco. The total im- 

 ports during the fiscal year amounted to $17,- 

 975,880, as compared with $13,229,725 for 

 the preceding year. Exports were $1,600,808, 

 as compared with $1,568,380 in 1914. 



Shipping men expect that the business be- 

 tween Philadelphia and Cuba will increase 

 steadily. Only last Thursday another vessel 

 was chartered to load a cargo of 12,000,000 

 pounds of sugar for the French Government. 

 As little raw sugar is going to either France or 

 Great Britain, America must supply them 

 with the finished product. This means that 

 more sugar must be imported from Cuba than 

 in normal times, and that the American re- 

 fineries will be kept working to their capacity 

 until the end of the war. — Philadelphia Public 

 Ledger. 



CUBA'S TRADE WITH SPAIN 



The exchange of commodities between 

 Spain and Cuba, Mexico, and Uruguay is 

 exceptionally important for many reasons. 

 Exports from Spain to Cuba in 1913 amounted 

 in value to $11,616,991 and consisted chiefly 

 of silver coin, dyed and printed cotton textiles, 

 stationery, cooper's wai'es, footwear, olive 

 oil, wines, and preserved fruits and vege- 

 tables; whereas Spain's imports from Cuba 

 amounted to only $445,959, in corapariosn 

 with $621,323 during the year before; these 

 consisted largely of hardwoods and tobacco. 



Efforts have been frequently made to ne- 

 gotiate a commercial treaty between Spain 

 and Cuba, and the petition of the Spanish 

 Chamber of Commerce in Habana for a free 

 customs zone at Cadiz was an occasion to 

 renew the interrupted negotiations. Toward 

 the close of 1914, a temporary customs agree- 

 ment was recommended by the authorities 

 that favored reciprocally the entry in many 

 lines of exports of the two countries between 

 themselves. Spanish wines for Cuba and 

 Cuban tobacco for consumption in the 

 Peninsula and for transshipment have re- 

 ceived special consideration. It is believed 

 that this is the immediate precursor of a 

 mutually beneficial commercial treaty be- 

 tween the two countries. 



1912 1913 



Imports from Cuba.... 621,324 445,959 

 Exports to Cuba 11,455,781 11,616,991 



