100 CIRCULAR 249, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
Factors affecting the foreign demand for American tobacco aside 
from those of only short-time significance, fall into two broad groups, 
(a) nongovernmental and (b) governmental (28). Briefly stated, the 
more important ones are as follows: 
NONGOVERNMENTAL 
Changes in Tobacco Habits—Tobacco habits tend to be strongly 
fixed, not only as to the choice of product, as snuff, chewing, pipe, 
cigar, or cigarette, but also as to the quality of product. This fact 
lends stability to the manufacturing industry of a nation and, in the 
absence of governmental controls, discussed later, to the international 
trade in tobacco by which the requirements of that industry are 
supplied. If a considerable segment of the population in a certain 
country prefers cigars made of American fire-cured tobacco, for 
example, and the preference has been established on the basis of 
certain grades purchased over a long period of years in, say, the 
Clarksville-Hopkinsville-Springfield district of Kentucky and Ten- 
nessee, then the manufacturers will continue to seek those grades in 
that area. They are not likely to change unless the smokers’ pref- 
erences change, or unless governmental or economic considerations 
of a compelling nature intervene. 
Tobacco-consuming habits as a rule change only slowly. One 
factor promoting change is the gradual disappearance of the older 
generations addicted to one pattern of preferences, and the rise of 
younger generations whose tobacco preferences may be more easily 
swayed by fashion, the mode, or what might be termed the modern 
trend. The trend in most western European countries, especially, 
has been for many years toward cigarettes. As shown in table 30, 
the estimated consumption of cigarettes in Europe rose from about 
116 million pounds in 1913 to more than 401 million pounds in 1930, 
and after a setback in 1931 rose to more than 396 million pounds in 
1935. Other tobacco products were variously affected by this great 
increase. Cigars declined for several years, but since 1932 have shown 
stronger recovery than have cigarettes. Smoking mixtures gained 
somewhat for a time and then lost, with only a minor net change for 
the whole period of years. On the other hand chewing tobacco and 
snuff lost consistently. The total volume of consumption registered 
a net rise of around 27 percent during the period. 
Changes in modes of consumption usually involve shifts in the types 
of tobacco used in manufacture. With respect to the matter under 
discussion this may involve a change from one American type to 
another, or changes to competing types produced in other countries. 
Quality and Prices —This refers to the quality of the crop coming 
to market and of competitive types, and the prices at which com- 
peting types may be purchased. This is a manufacturing problem 
involving the interchangeability of different types of tobacco, or to- 
bacco from different countries. Under conditions of free enterprise 
manufacturers are loath to use substitute types in products that have 
become popular. 
