32 



THE CUBA REVIEW 



The Sugar Industry 



U. S. Sugar Imports 



During the fiscal year ending June 30 

 imports of sugar into the United States 

 averaged just about $1,000,000 a day, or a 

 total of $365,100,576 for the year, accord- 

 ing to figures of the Department of Com- 

 merce, which are not likely to be mate- 

 rially changed on final revision. The total 

 quantity of sugar imported, according to 

 these figures, was 4,211,242 ordinary tons, 

 but the net quantity retained in the 

 country was somewhat less than this, as 

 about 375,000 tons was re-exported after 

 refining. 



This heavy importation of sugar has 

 broken several records, including that of 

 tariff receipts for a single year and that of 

 Cuba's export trade to the United States. 



By selling to this country products val- 

 ued at $59,827,837, Cuba in the month of 

 March, 1923, took first place among all 

 countries of the world as a purveyor of 

 goods to this market. Imports from Cuba 

 in that month were over $10,000,000 more 

 than those from the United Kingdom and 

 $27,000,000 more than those from Canada, 

 the two countries from which Americans 

 ordinarily do their heaviest buying. 



That the principal item in the shipments 

 from Cuba to the United States was sugar 

 goes without saying. The value of Cuban 

 sugar imported into this country in March 

 was $55,882,524, and it was mainly re- 

 sponsible for the adverse trade balance, or 

 excess of imports over exports, shown by 

 the trade report for that month. As has 

 been previously pointed out by "Facts 

 About Sugar," the movement of raw sugar 

 into the United States in the month of 

 March was the greatest in the country's 

 history. The total value of the sugar im- 

 ported in that month from all countries 

 was $59,650,347. 



For the first six months of 1923 the 

 value of all merchandise imported into 

 the United States was $2,088,588,849, and 

 of this sugar accounted for $246,894,523, 

 or nearly one-eighth of the total. As in- 

 dicating the dominant position which Cuba 

 occupies in supplying the foreign grown 

 sugar required by this country it is note- 

 worthy that of the 2,247,443 tons imported 



for the six months ending June 30 approx- 

 imately 98 per cent came from Cuba. 



For the fiscal year ending June 30 Cuba 

 apparently ranks fourth among the coun- 

 tries supplying the United States market, 

 being surpassed only by the United King- 

 dom, Canada, and Japan. Taking into ac- 

 count the difference in size and population 

 between Cuba and countries that rank 

 much lower in the volume of their trade 

 with the United States, it is possible to ap- 

 preciate what a tremendous commercial 

 prize Cuba has gained through the reci- 

 procity treaty which gives her sugar pref- 

 erential entry into the American market. 



In the matter of contribution to the 

 support of the government sugar leads all 

 other commodities by a tremendous mar- 

 gin. Final figures of the amounts collected 

 in total customs revenue and from par- 

 ticular commodities for the fiscal year 

 have not yet been published, but the total 

 tariff revenue apparently will be $560,000,- 

 000 or over. Of this amount probably 

 close to one-fourth, or $140,000,000, will 

 be provided by sugar. Exact figures will 

 be available shortly and will be included 

 in a further report, but it is unquestionably 

 true that sugar pays more than any other 

 single product toward footing the expenses 

 of the federal government. 



— Facts About Sugar. 



Philippine Crop 255,000 Tons 



Washington, June 19. — The Philippine 

 grinding season of 1922-23 is practically 

 over and the most recent estimates place 

 the production of sugar available for ex- 

 port at 255,000 long tons, according to 

 a cable message to the Department of 

 Commerce from Trade Commissioner J. 

 A. Fowler. The mills are now making 

 preparations for repairs, installations of 

 new machinery and equipment, and sup- 

 plies for next season. 



Guiana Shows Larger Export 



Exports of sugar from British Guiana 

 for the first quarter of 1923 reached a total 



