20 T HE CUB A REVIEW 



Status of the Cuban Lumber Trade 



Commercial Attache Chester Lloyd Jojies, Habana 



Few markets have shown such remarkable development as Cuba during the past 

 25 years. Since the Spanish-American War, in 1898, and the subsequent first American 

 occupation, there has been a rapid and consistent growth in many Unes of commercial and 

 agricultural pursuits, and American capital and enterprise have gained a firm foothold on 

 the island. This in turn has led to closer commercial relations between Cuba and the 

 United States. 



Systematic Exploitation of the Cubax Market 



Of late American lumber exporters have been giving increasing attention to a sys- 

 tematic exploitation of the Cuban market, devoting much study to its requirements. The 

 lumber mills in the South have found in Cuba one of their most important and profitable 

 foreign markets, because there they can dispose of a low-grade material for which there is 

 no ready market either at home or abroad, save in the West Indies. 



Cuban lumber requirements have naturally closely followed the agricultural and 

 industrial development. The bulk of the lumber used in the island must be imported, as 

 the native timber comprises but a limited amount of certain species, such as mahogany, 

 Spanish cedar, majagua, and a few other hardwoods which may be termed specialty woods 

 and are not extensively used for ordinary construction purposes. 



Exports of American Lumber to Cuba 



Prior to the Spanish-American War exports to Cuba of American lumber, logs, and 

 timber were almost negligible, amounting in 1897, for instance, to less than 28,000,000 

 board feet. The awakened agricultural and commercial prosperity and the increased 

 building activities during the first American occupation immediately reflected itself in the 

 increased volume of lumber which American exporters were called upon to supply. Our 

 lumber and timber exports in 1900 reached the high figure of 85,000,000 feet. For the next 

 three years our annual lumber trade with Cuba remained nearly stationary — in fact, dropped 

 in 1903 to almost 60.000,000 feet. With the second occupation a further improvement in 

 demand for American lumber was manifested, and for the next four years our lumber and 

 timber exports to the island increased, amounting in the last-named year to 143,000,000 

 feet. The years 1908 and 1909 reflected the industrial depression at home, our lumber 

 export trade with Cuba dropping to slightly under 80,000,000 feet, but quickly rebounding 

 the following year to 140,000,000 feet. American exports to Cuba for 1911 were 133,000,000 

 feet; 1912, 125,000,000 feet; 1913, 139,000,000 feet; and 1914, 124,000,000 feet. 



The first year of the Great War caused a decline in our lumber exports to Cuba, being 

 91,000,000 feet in 1915. In 1916 the effect of Cuba's war prosperity was manifest, when 

 American lumber exports increased to 177,000,000 feet, which again showed a further 

 increase in the following two years, exports for 1917 being 181,000,000 feet and for 1918 

 222,000,000 feet, while those in 1919 dropped to 176,000,000 feet. The foregoing figures 

 are given for fiscal years. During the calendar year of 1920 our lumber exports broke all 

 previous records, amounting to 298,000,000 feet, valued at more than $16,000,000. 



Panic Follows Cuba's War Prosperity 

 During the war Cuba experienced unprecedented prosperity. Immense purchases of 

 sugar by the United States and European Governments, war rationing, and popular fears 

 of a sugar famine, combined with the activities of speculators, resulted in raising the price 

 of sugar to unheard-of levels. With high prices came greatly stimulated production, and 

 so long as Cuban producers could dispose of their sugar under these conditions their profits 

 were enormous. This prosperity in the sugar industry was accompanied by a period of 

 expansion of plants, building of homes, and other construction activity requiring thci 

 importation of large quantities of lumber. With the panic of October, 1920, caused by i 

 the collapse of the sugar markets, and the subsequent financial depression, this artificial 

 prosperity vanished. Importation of all commodities, including lumber, dwindled to a 



