THE CUBA REVIEW 



13 



Stocks in some textile lines are practically cleared out. As a rule these are goods 

 which can be retailed at from 10 to 15 cents per yard. For such textiles there is 

 now an active market. There is also a temporary shortage in the cheaper grades of 

 hosiery. With exception of the above lines, the orders placed by responsible houses, 

 which are now going forward, are usually for assorted stocks. In bleached goods and 

 fancies the market is still overstocked. No general revival in the textile market is 

 to be expected before the end of the year. 



Cuban Market for Certain Chemicals 



The value of caustic soda and bleaching 

 powders in the Cuban import trade lends 

 importance to an account of the uses to 

 which these commodities are being put and 

 the possibility of still further increases. 



Caustic Soda 



Caustic soda is used in Cuba most ex- 

 tensively by soap-manufacturing plants. 

 One of the largest importers estimates that 

 80 per cent of the caustic soda consumed 

 in Cuba is so used. It is also used for 

 cleaning in the sugar mills during the grind- 

 ing season and to a limited extent by steam 

 laundries for cleaning articles which are 

 extremely soiled by grease. Tanneries also 

 require a small amount. 



The imports of caustic soda into Cuba 

 from the United States, as published in 

 Foreign Commerce and Navigation, 

 amounted in 1919 to 5,591,322 pounds, 

 valued at $184,729, and increased in 1920 

 to 9,160,555 pounds, worth $406,064. As 

 the United States at present supplies prac- 

 tically all of the caustic soda used in Cuba, 

 these figures may be taken as the amount 

 of this commodity consumed. 



Lye (caustic soda) in cans is sold in 

 Cuba for use by furniture makers in remov- 

 ing paint and also for cleaning purposes in 

 the homes. It is estimated by dealers that 

 4,000 cases (48 cans of 12 ounces each) 

 are used in Cuba annually for these pur- 

 poses. No lye is used for the home manu- 

 facture of soft soap, as no soap is made in 

 the Cuban homes and the scarcity of mate- 

 rials for soap grease makes this method of 

 soap manufacturing improbable in the fu- 

 ture. 



Bleaching Powder 



The principal use for bleaching powder 

 (chloride of lime) in Cuba is for cleaning 

 in the steam laundries. A limited amount 



is used in purifying drinking water. Prac- 

 tically all of this comes from the United 

 States. 



United States Government statistics 

 show the exports of bleaching powder to 

 Cuba in 1919 to have been 273,403 pounds, 

 worth $14,347, as compared with 426,619 

 pounds, valued at $28,669, in 1920. 



Hydrochloric Acid 



Hydrochloric acid is used for cleaning 

 purposes in the sugar mills and in the 

 homes. A manufacturing plant for this 

 acid was formerly in operation in Habana, 

 but was burned down about two years ago. 

 Estimates of the Cuban annual consump- 

 tion vary from 25,000 carboys (150 pounds 

 each) in 1920 and 12,000 carboys in 1921 

 to an annual average as high as 60,000 car- 

 boys, although the lower figures are prob- 

 ably closer estimates. Practically all the 

 hydrochloric acid used in Cuba comes from 

 the United States. — Assistant Trade Com- 

 missioner C. A. Livengood, Habana. 



Trade with Dominican Republic 



The following table shows the value of 

 the Dominican import and export trade 

 with Cuba for the calendar years 1913, 

 1919 and 1920: 



1913 



Imports $7,352 



Exports 27,536 



1919 1920 



$152,174 $223,220 

 162,549 66,249 



Shipment of Steel from United Kingdom 



Following are figures showing the ex- 

 ports of iron, steel, and manufactures 

 thereof from the United Kingdom to Cuba : 



Long Tons 



1913 8,329 



1919 793 



1920 4.580 



