22 



THE CUBA REVIEW 



CUBAN COMMERCIAL MATTERS 



HOW TO GET BUSINESS 



In 1913 the population of the municipality 

 of Cienfuegos numbered 79,669 and of the 

 city, 33,814; while in 1907 the figures were 

 70,461 and 30,100 respectively. 



The distance to Cienfuegos is not as great 

 as, or at least not greater than, that of much 

 of the western part of the United States from 

 the American manufacturing centers. Hence, 

 American manufacturers should visit the 

 trade personally or establish agencies, whose 

 traveling representatives, men who know the 

 trade, the language, and the custom of the 

 merchants, would visit the inland towns at 

 stated intervals or as often as may seem 

 necessary. If they will do that and can 

 compete in the line of goods required, in 

 quality and in prices with our most formidable 

 European rivals, they will capture the trade, 

 as the reciprocity agi-eement we have with 

 Cuba gives them the advantage of a rebate 

 of from 20 to 40 per cent, on duties over all 

 other countries. 



It is rather difficult to work up trade by 

 catalogues, even though printed in Spanish, 

 while circulars, catalogues, and correspond- 

 ence in English are absolutely worthless for 

 that pui-pose. — Consular Report. 



SPAIN AND CUBA 



The latest available figures showing 

 Spain's trade with Cuba are for 1912, when 

 the imports and exports with the 1911 trade 

 were as shown in the following: 

 Imports from Cuba: 1911 1912 



$323,725 $621,324 



Exports to Cuba: 1911 1912 



$9,818,488 $11,455,781 



MUST DEVELOPE FOREIGN TRADE 



" Reason and good business sense emphasize 

 the importance and necessity of American 

 industry engaging in foreign trade," says a 

 Boston publication. With the present enor- 

 mous development of industrialism, our 

 factories can supply the domestic demand 

 by producing 65% of capacity. This means 

 that 35% new business must be developed, 

 or production must be curtailed 35%. The 

 logical and business-like procedure is to get 

 more business. More business can be had 

 in Cuba, in Europe, in Africa, in the Orient, 

 in South America. The testimony of scores 

 of successful American exporters — including 

 the present Secretary of Commerce — is that 

 foreign business is stable and dependable. 

 It is not only profitable on its own account, 

 but in times of business depression at home 

 it serves as a balance wheel, taking care of 

 its output when the domestic demand falls 

 or fails. The next step in our American 

 commercial evolution is foreign trade. In- 



evitably American goods will go into the 

 markets of the world. 



Cuba is a big market for American goods, 

 and it is near to the United States, an 

 important matter in case of machinery 

 supplies or repairs. 



Cuba's total trade in 1912 was $298,- 

 880,000, of which imports were $125,902,000 

 and exports $172,978,000. 



UNITED STATES LOSING TRADE 

 Paper Trade Between Canada and Cuba 



Ottawa, Ont., June 9, 1914. — The possi- 

 bility of trade in paper products between 

 Canada and the Island of Cuba is dealt with 

 in a report received by the Trade and Com- 

 merce Department from its trade commis- 

 sioner in Havana. It is reported that the 

 United States is steadily losing the trade in 

 some lines. 



As regards paper bags it is reported that 

 "there are one or two factories of paper bags 

 in Cuba, but their output is far below the 

 demand." Of wrapping paper the report says 

 that Canada contributed in the last year of 

 which there is record, 1911, 9,459 kilograms 

 out of a total of 362,566 kilograms imported. 

 "The above figures are not in keeping with 

 the possibilities enjoyed by Canadian manu- 

 facturers of the commodity." 



As regards newsprint the report states: 

 "With the large number of periodicals printed 

 in Cuba, newspaper, which enters free of 

 duty, should be imported from Canada in 

 larger proportions than the statistics record." 

 — Paper Trade Journal (New York). 



COPPER PRODUCTION IN CUBA 



The production of copper in Cuba in 

 metric tons compares as follows: 



1910 3,538 1912 4,393 



1911 3,753 1913 3,381 



■ — Figures of the Engineering and Mining 

 Journal, New York. 



COMMITTEE ON CUBAN RELATIONS 



An old Senate committee on Cuban rela- 

 tions was re-established in Washington June 

 5th. The following were appointed : Senator 

 Bristow of Kansas, chairman; Senators 

 Smith of Michigan, Sutherland of Utah, 

 Waite of Alabama and West of Georgia. 



United States Consul, Max J. Baehr, long 

 stationed at Cienfuegos, has been transferred 

 to Berne, Switzerland. 



In the interior, Mr. Ventura Carbo, took 

 possession of the office until the new consul, 

 Mr. Richard M. Bartlaman, lately at Buenos 

 Aires, arrives. 



