The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-03-13
OPPORTUNITY IN BRAZIL
American Manufacturers Overlook
an Important Market.
Lack "f transportation Facilities
and OF Banks-Rio JaneirO Reach
ed Via Liverpool More Easily Than
Direct From New YOrk-Stntistics
on the Trade of the Country.

PHILADELPHIA. March 13.-It has been
demonstrated that the West Iudies and
Mexico afford an opportunity for profitable
trade almost unexcelled and that the
American manufacturer in general has far
less than his proper proportion OF the trade
Of tho5e countries. Still another country
presents a field the vastness Of which must
be studied to be appreciated. and which
alone. IL 1t should be conquered. might
easily absorb the entire surplus output OF
1 American factories and mills. This field is
I TO be found in the sister republic which,
though but few years rem owed from its
monarchical form of government has
( grown already into one OF the most lusty
OF the South American Republics.
! For scores and scores Of years the Bra
I ziis," as the South American country was
/ then called in commercial pariance, formed
a rich field OF venture for the enterprisiug
merchant on the other side Of the Atlantic.
Right well have his successors en.renched
themselves. since almost 1iue-telths OF
the rich trade OF modern Brazil still crosses
the Atlantic and helps I'll the Golfers OF the
merchants in Amsterdam, Antwerp Havre
/ Liverpool, London. and Hamburg.
/ There are various reasons why American
manufacturers have 7 ot exploited this mar
ket and the principa! one of all is the lack
. Of adequate steamship connections.
Though geographically so near to the
. Atlantic coast OF the United States, the
fact remains that practically il is often
{ nearer 10 reach Rio de Janeiro by way OF
| Liverpool than direct from Philadelphia
| or New York. Another obstacle has been
I the lack Of proper banking facilities.
| Most important of all. however. has been
! the want Of proper recognition on the
| part Of American manufacturers OF the
richness Of the field lying almost at their
doors. When once this fact shall be thor
oughly recognized il can well be believed
that the enterprising American manufaC-
turers will provide for themselves the Ia
cilities needed. To properly appreciate,
however the opportunity. the country is
worthy consideration IN detail
Brazil is the largest Of the South Amei
lean states. her area being considerably
more than that Of ihe entire United States
emitting Alaska, and her population about
equal 10 that Of New York Pennsylvania.
and Massachusetts combined. The area
is 3209.S7 square miles and the pOpula-
tion a 1913 .Sl5. Lying almost exclusively
within the tropics. her chief productions
are coffee, tobacco. cotton. and rubber.
though in certain OF the provinces the cat
tie industry Is important. while the for
ests and mines promise TO be very yalua-
BILE. Cotton mills are increasing in num-
Der. the latest statistics giving los cotton
factories. also a number Of important
wooden factories. two silk mills. and two
large Touring mills, which draw their sup
plies chiefly from Argentina and Uruguay.
Coffee is the most important OF the prod
ucts OF Brazil. forming indeed the largest
share OF the coffee product of the world.
proportion Of her coffee and rubber 10 the
United States gives 10 this country some
I what larger percentage in her imports than
I in those Of many other OF the South Amer
/ lean countries. The exports from IN.
United States TO Brazil. which in SIS
were IS $50 in value in 1898 were Sl3.-
| 81, 036 The imports into Brazil from the
{ United Kingdom are, however. much Erea'-
. er than those from the United states. hav-
{ ing been in 1897 S2712l G24. against S3l-
s5l.IS9 in 1855. From France the imports
are also larger than from the United
States having been in 1897 SO 9I7622, aud
. in 1883 SIS 4J3 sos. From Germany the inn
ports in 1897 we're 24sg.526. against s.
I pa 500 IN 1855. Il is thus apparent that
while the United States has gained more
rapidly in exports TO Brazil than have the
United Kingdom or France. its share I'm
the commerce is smaller than that OF eth
er of those countries. and that Germany
has made a larger increase than the United
States
A large proportion OF the producing and
consuming population Of Brazil is near the
southern border. and as a consequence 10
Gated aDOut the same distance from the
. great commercial centres Of the United
States as from those OF Europe. Those OF
the great Amazon Valley. however. OF
which Para. with a population Of 81 go
. is the chief business centre are more ac-
. no Of "a
States than TO those OF Europe and as
: consequence purchase more largely from
this country than do those farther South
which are in direct communication with
European countries through the steamship
lines which converge at Para
Brazil has no regular statistical state
ments, ard consequently details OF her i'm
ports can only be estimated by considerd-
1 ton OF the exports of each of the principal
countries to Brazil From the United
States the principal exports to Brazil are
I manufactures OF iron and steel. furniture
cotton goods. mineral oils. breadstdffs. and
provisions. From the United Kingdom.
which furnishes the largest share Of Bra
zil's foreign purchases. the importatiOns OF
cotton goods in 1897 were $500. 600;
wrought and unwrOught iron. 8. 900 00e;
wooler manufactures. $500. GOO: coal. 81
900. 600: and machinery, $780, coo. The
value Of the imports OF Brazil in 1899 was
about sos. Geo 600 and the exports about
$3.50. OC0. OO0
Brazil's most important export is coffee.
! Of which she has the chief supply of the
world. She has exported since 1880 over
100 600 GOO bags of coffee. averaging 132
pounds 10 the bag. Recent estimates put
BraZils production of coffee at so per cent
OF that OF the entire world and OF her
enormous exports Of this article about one
half is sent TO the United States, the 1896
exports to the United States having been
4. 65S. SIC bags ana 10 Europe 1925 coo
bags or rubber, the next in Importance
OF her exports, the United States is also
the largest purchaser the exports of 1895
TO the United States having been 1921 40
Kilograms. and to Europe 951S,11 kilo-
grams.
The value OF rubber exports from Bra
iii is growing more rapidly than that of
! coffee. The exports of rubber increased
% per cent in quantity from 1889 to 1885,
while those of coffee in 1897 were but 20
per cent above those Of 1888 measured in
quantity; but the price Of coffee has so
I much fallen meantime that the money re-
ceived for the exports has actually fallen.
Coffee is still however. much the largest
| item in value in the list of exports. hav-
ing been 500 100, lis milreis in value in
! 1897: rubber 149, 691 ,S25 milreis; tobacco
23.971. 1S1 milreis; hides. IS 427 pa milreis.
and cocoa, Il. 1851 .957 milreIs in value
While Brazil finds the United States her
best customers in coffee. rubbe.. and other
exports, she buys little from this country
| in rpfuru "a atfpCfp cd nv Consul HfU nf