The evening times., 1900-03-13
OPPORTUNITY IN BRAZIL
American Manufacturers Overlook
an Important Market.
A Lack of Transportation Facilities
and of Banks-Rio JaneirO Reach
ed via Liverpool More Easily Than
Direct From New NOrk-Statistics
on the Trade of the Country.

! PHILADELPHIA March 13.-It has been
demonstrated that the West Indies and
Mexico afford an opportunity for profitable
trade almost unexceled, and that the
American manufacturer in general has far
less than his proper proportion of the trade
of those countries. Still another country
presents a field the vastness of which must
be studied to be appreciated, and which
alone, if it should be conquered, might
| easily absorb the entire surplus output of
| American factories and mills. This field is
! to be found in the sister republic which,
I though but a few years removed from it's
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
zils,'' as the South American country was
then called in commercial parlance formed
a rich field OF venture for the enterprising
merchant on the other side of the Atlantic
Right well have his successors entrenched
themselves, since almost niuetenths Of
the rich trade of modern Brazil still crosses
/ the Atlantic and helps fill the Golfers of the
merchants in Amsterdam, Antwerp, Hayre,
| Liverpool, London, and Hamburg.
| There are various reasons why American
manufacturers have not exploited this mar
ket and the principal 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 it is often
nearer TO reach Rio de Janeiro by way of
| Liverpool than direct from Philadelphia
! or New York Another obstacle has been
! 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 Amer
lean states. her area being considerably
more than that of The entire United States
emitting Alaska. and her population about
/ equal to that OF New York. Pennsylvania,
and Massachusetts combined. The area
is 3.209. SIS square miles and the popula-
tion Il, 333 9l5. 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 155 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.
The fact~that Brazil sells a very large
proportion of her coffee and rubber to the
United States gives TO this country some
what larger percentage in her imports than
in those Of many other Of the South Amer
lean countries. The exports from the
United States 10 Brazil which in 1855
were SIS. I21 $50 in value. in 1898 were Sl3.-
81 ,036 The imports into Brazil from the
United Kingdom are, however, much great
er than those from the United States hav-
ing been in 1897 s27.72l, 024. against s3l,
95i,7 ,7S9 in 1883. From France the imports
are also larger than from the United
States. having been in 1897 Sic. .9l7 .622, and
in 1883 Sl5. .453. .S9S From Germany the i'm
ports in 1897 we're S12 4S9, 526. against So.
247 400 in 1885 Ii 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 in
the commerce is smaller than that of eth
er of those countries. and that Germany
has made larger increase than the United
States.
a large proportion OF the producing and
consuming population of Brazil is near the
southern border and as consequence To-
Gated about the same distance from the
great commercial centres Of the United
States from those of Europe. Those OF
the great Amazon Valley however. OF
which Para. with a population of o. 900 |
is the chief business centre are more ac-
cessible to the markets Of the United
States than to those of Europe. and as a
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, and consequently details OF her i'm |
ports can only be estimated by considera-
tion OF the exports of each of the principal
countries to Brazil From the United
States the principal exports to Brazil are
manufactures of iron and steel. furniture
cotton goods mineral oils. breadstuffs 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 S., 7G0, 600; |
wrought and unwrought iron, $1,000, ,00e; |
wooden manufactures. SS0O. 600: coal, 81. |
900 600; and machinery, $1,000. OO0 The |
value of the imports of Brazil in 1899 was |
about $105. coo, 900 and the exports about |
$3.50. .000 000.
Brazils most important export is coffee |
of which she has the chief supply of the |
world. She has exported since 1880 over
100 900. 600 bags of coffee, averaging 132 |
pounds TO the bag. Recent estimates put |
Brazil's production of coffee at so per cent |
of that of the entire world and of her
enormous exports of this article about one
exports to the United States having been
4, ,65S. .S16 bags, and 10 Europe. 1925 500 |
bags. OF 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 II ,251 ,410
Kilograms and to Europe 9,51S171 kilo-
grams.
The value of rubber exports from Bra
Zil is growing more rapidly than that of
coffee. The exports of rubber increased
33 per cent in quantity from 1889 to 1885, |
while those of coffee in 1897 were but 20
per cent above those Of 1889, measured in
quantity; but the price of coffee has so
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, .S25 milreis tobacco,
23, 81, 1S1 milreis; hides Is, ,427, ,224 milreis |
and cocoa, 12,757.9 .957 milreis in value.
While Brazil finds the United States her
best customers in coffee. rubber, and other
exports, she buys little from this country
in return, as attested by Consul HILL of