THE CUBA REVIEW 



CUBAN MARKET FOR FANCY BISCUIT 



The I'nitecl States lias not yet l)cen al)le to 

 overcome the leail of the I'liited Kingtloin in 

 Cuba's tratle in fancy biscuit, cakes, and the 

 like. In 1913, the last normal year, Cuba's 

 im]K)rts of these articles, mainly tinned, 

 totaled 564,283 pounds, valued, at $85,378; 

 and of this amount the United Kingdom fiu- 

 nisheil 428,7<)2 pounils, valueil at $68,848. 

 The United States sent 91,739 pounds, valued 

 at S9.993; France ship])ed in 41, 605 pounds of 

 the value of §5,947; and Belgium, Sjjaiu and 

 Germany furnished insignificant quantities. 



In the calendar jear 1914 the effect of the 

 war on European trade was noticed, for the 

 United Staes shipped in 108,155 pounds, 

 valued at $11,657, an increase of 16,416 

 pounds in quantity and $1,664 in value. Bel- 

 gium and Germany do not appear in the offi- 

 cial import reconls, France fell to -$2,736, and 

 receipts from the United Kingdom fell to 

 339,197 pounds, valued at $53,995. The 

 figures for 1915 will likely show a larger gain 

 for the United States, although no difficulty is 

 exjierienced in getting goods from England 

 and there has been no curtailment of the regu- 

 lar terms given in the past. The English 

 goods are handled through the Boston rejjre- 

 sentative of the l)akcrs, who also represents a 

 celebrated English pickling and preserving 

 house and who makes i)eriodical trips to 

 Cuba. Very little of the trade is handled 

 through jolibers. 

 English VnricHea iit Favor. 



It is a field that American bakers can ver}' 

 well afford to watch and cultivate, for with 

 increasing i)ropserity in C'uba the demand for 

 these fancy biscuit will undouljtedly grow. 

 In common crackers, however, the United 

 States leads, shipping in 1913 224,375 pounds, 

 valued at $14,807, to England's 1,610 pounds, 

 of the value of $126; and in 1914, 242,199 

 l)Ounds, valued at $15,471, to England's 

 2,035 pounds, valued at $259. 'J'he Cuban 

 duty is §1..5() per 100 kilos (220.46 ])ounds) on 

 common crackers, and $3.64 per 100 kilos on 

 the fine or fancy biscuit imported from the 

 I'nited States, which are admitted at a re- 

 dixction of 20 per cent of the general rates. 



The English goods are usualh' in 1 -pound 

 tins, hermetically sealed, and in an attractive 

 package. Sales are made in nearly' every in- 

 stance direct to retailers, and only a very 

 small portion is jobbed. The number of 

 grocers carrying fancy l)iscuit is large, and 

 the wide distribution of the goods in the small 



conicr "ticndas" is somewliat romarkal)le. 

 The lOnglish goods are sold as a rule on 90" 

 days' time. The almost invariable American 

 terms are 30 days from date of invoice. This 

 amounts ))ractically to cash as it takes some 

 time for the goods to arrive and be pa.ssed 

 through the customs. Some instances have 

 been kno\\'n where the American manufac- 

 turers have given as long as 60 days, but these 

 are exceptional ami the 3()-day rule is the 

 standard. Dealers state that if terms equal 

 to the English were given there would be an 

 incentive to push the .Vmerican goods, but as 

 it is their interest lies manifestly in the direc- 

 tion of the manufacturers extending the 

 longest credits. 



Grocers report that the I'^nglLsh 1-pound 

 tins of "sponge rusk" retailing at 40 to 45 

 cents is the prime favorite. Dealers with a 

 ])reponderating native trade give the follow- 

 ing English Immds, in 1-pound tins, as having 

 the largest .sale (the figures represent retail 

 jirices in cents per pound) : Dinner biscuit, 40; 

 sponge ru.sk, 40; Italian macaroons, 75; 

 breakfast biscuit, 40; cream crackers, 40; 

 '"ice creams," two flavors — vanilla, 40, choco- 

 late, 60; puff sandwich, lemon flavor, 40; 

 arrowToot crackers, 40; combination, 40; 

 rich mixeil, 40; Petit Buerre, 40; Royal Sov- 

 ereign (filled with a])ricot jam), 50; Corona- 

 tion, 40; milk, 40. 



American Products — Local Factories. 



The gingersnai)s, vanilla wafei^s, etc., from 

 the United States, put u]) in the j)asteboard 

 carton.s protected b>- an alleged air-tight cover- 

 ing of waxed paper, are declared to be imsatis- 

 factory. It is claimed that air and moisture 

 in some way i)enetrate, and in two to three 

 weeks after the goods are put on the shelves 

 they begin to deteriorate, taking on a musty 

 smell and taste and losing their crispness and 

 freshness. 



There is practically only one brand of 

 American fancy biscuit on the market. Some 

 of the goods of this concern are packed in 

 l-pomid tins and some of the fancier confec- 

 tions in small tins that retail as low as 15 

 cents. The biscuit packed in tins are declared 

 by grocers to be in every way the equal of the 

 English product and thoroughly satisfactory, 

 and the exterior of the American packages is 

 decidedh' more attractive than that of the 

 British. The consensus of opinion appears to 

 be that if more liberal terms were granted 

 there would be an immediate large increase 

 in importations of the American goods and 



