New-York tribune., 1906-07-15
AMERICAN TRADE GAINS
Guatemala Offers Big Field for the
Hustling Exporter.

A branch OF I.atin-American trade which has not
received the attention which IL deserves on the
part OF American exporters and manufacturers IS
that OF Central America In Guatemala especially
the indications point to great extension OK ttaoe
with the United States. Guatemala in recent years
has been passing through a period Of commercial
depression. which has reduced the purchasing pow
er OF the country TO considerably less than II was
ten years ago. A period Of prosperity ana specu- u
lation, which eliminated in 1898, was followed py
collapse and the falling in price OF the staple Ptou
uct of the republic, coffee. which greatly hnoerea
its recovery for long time. The severity OF ele
crisis is illustrated In the commercial ceaillss o.
Guatemala with foreign countries. In 4ssf tho
United States shipped to Guatemala soous - ~ - oio
value of 992O0O but this figure dropped 70 sl,loo,
900 in 1888 and two years later, IN 1900, TO sNSv"
England in 1886 sent the republic goods vaIued az
100000; in 1889, $4,000 Germany In 1879 con-
tributed to the imports OF Guatemala Soo1V' "a.io
fell to $4,000 in 1898 and S5O00 in 1899 since the
there has been a gradual recovery. only hindeEeo
by the low price Of coffee, but sufficiently nffNeu
to give ample promise that the countrys traae WIN
soon return to the position 1t had reached oelOie
the crisis and probably advance much msheF !"
the scale of commercial activity.
The official figures Of imports for the year ASos
showed considerable increase over the record OF
previous years Those for 1905. which have JUST
been published by the government exhibit sum
further advance, and there is every tndlcatloh th
Guatemala Is on the eve of once again becoming
one Of the prosperous nations Of the globe. The
imports of last year reached the amount OF S6s44'
400, and the exports that of sS2S7,sOO. showing q
total foreign trade of sl5OS2,ao, which Is Dui'e
creditable, and gain Of more than OV per co.S
st far from sound commercially, but IL is rapidly
approaching better condition: Inc ne taTaIan se-
curitieS held abroad, the resumption % w ,,ch
several public and semi-public UNDERTAKINGS, s4cH
as the Northern Railway all seem to indicate tnat
DuriDg the period of depression the commerce
of the United States with Guatemala mas s4iter91 81
IN common with that OF 9tter t6sV sit5o1igh our
commerce is smaller than IL was ten years aSO' Ost
yeaP we furnished S per- cent of the total inn
ports Of the republic and took S4g per es sGe 81 @
nisher of supplies, Germany coming next a Ts"oS oS
her bt-e exports than any other nation, the United
States being her next best customer Wln 5l$ts
mala has sunk almost into insignihcance English
tionary while that of the United States has in
creased. both in exports and imports: ten, On
our exports to Guatemala. but this fact tells but
part Of the story There are other very & POW u
similar increase with that OF breadStufs. Last
Usually large foodstufs formed only about S5 per
cent of her total purchases from us; AT least an
ured goods Of Which the chief are MANUFACTURES Of
iron and Steel and textiles In addition, the CROWN
which offer the United States market. Most
abroad ehoW that the Unted States last year con-
tTibuted largely Increased amounts and In an OF OF
them except textiles and glassware, the United
States already holds the bulk OF the trade. We
furnish So per cent of the breadstufs so per cent
Of the other foodstufs 40 cent Of the iron and
steel goods % per cent OF COAL 9S per cent OF the
talow, % per cent OF the glassware and q per cent
Of the textiles.
The textile trade Of the United States with
Guatemala is small, but there are certain lines of
these goods in which We are making progress,
which is prophetic OF considerable changes in the
features we hardly compete at all. but in silks. we
already hold the largest share Of the trade and
in several classes Of cotton goods we have made
marked progress. In cottons the United States
makes the best showing in drills unbleached and
dyed goods, and in prints There is a steadily n
creasing demand for American goods of this class,
not Only IN guatemala but IN al Central America.
business are chiefly those which affect the sale of
our cotton goods in all Spanish America. It Is for
the American manufacturer and exporter to meet
thefSe dllncultles with courage and overcome them,
Guatemalan market is just now opening it's arms
wide to the United StateS and it IS for Americans
to decide whether they will accept the profitable
trade offered them by their Southern neghbors, or
allow it to drift to other quarters.