The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-07-06
UNITED STATES CAN
GET CUBAN TRADE
Valuable Pointers on How
Our Exports Can Be
Increased

Washington, July 5-(Special THE
Cuban market is regarded as so impor-
tant to American exporters that United
States Vice Consul Gen. H. P. Starrett,
stationed at Havana, has has made a
special report to the department of COM
merce at Washington outlining in gen
eral way the most feasible methods of
entering that market by the thousands
of exporters in the United States who still
have no connections established with Gu
ban merchants.
Caba's growing Importance to the Amer
lean trade, Mr.. Starrettt remarks, can
be no more forcibly illustrated than by
the statement that its total foreign trade
at present is greater than that of any
country of Latin America except Brazil
and Argentina. In 1911 the foreign trade
OF Cuba amounted to s2S6, 4O3,S7S, of which
$113, ,206,997 was imports and $123,136,379 ex-
ports. The United States furnished SO
per cent of the imports, and took nearly
81 per cent of the exports.
AT the start" says Mr.. Starrett in
making his suggestions for increasing
American trade with Cuba, 1T may be
stated that catalogs and letters in
Lib scHL 10 IL country WnerG Spanish
is the official and commercial language
are practically wasted for only a few
employees of the commission houses and
practically none of the merchants read or
write English. There are, however sew
eral American firms doing business here
as commission brokers and merchants.
and this rule, of course would not apply
| to them. In order to discover just what
opportunity thereS may be in Cuba for
ma rtipnlar ar &c,
gested that any manufacturer or commits
sion export house having statesmen trav-
cling out of New York to foreign coun-
tries or covering extreme southern points
in the United States should have one of
them make Havana at least once a year
or every six months, If possible His visit
should be preceded or followed by letters
and catalogs in Spanish being careful
| that export price lists, with possible dis
count sheets, showing free on board
prices at the port of shipment, are at
! tached to the catalogs.
Havana is by far the most important
market in Cuba, and, therefore, entering
the Havana market is almost equiya-
lent to securing a general Cuban trade
This is true, especially if Havana agents
are selected, as most of the most Inn
portant commission houses maintain a
sales force covering the entire island
While merchants In other Cuban cities
sometimes order direct from the foreign
exporter the sales are usually consum-
mated through some Havana commission
house
I'm most instances the very best meth
cd for the representative of the America
exporter to pursue when he arrives in
Havana is to survey the field carefully
and consult with the American consulate
general Then IL he decides that there
is an opportunity for his product he
should be authorized to appoint some well
known and reliable commission firm to
represent his company. Such a connec-
ton. when properly made, makes the
very best possible means for the develop
ment of trade in an article which is un-
known to the Cuban market, as these
houses understand thoroughly the needs
of the market, the methods of sale and
the responsibility of the prospective GUS
toners, and know how to handle with
promptness and dispatch little difficulties
which invariably arise in connection with
shipping documents etc, which may be
simple enough in themselves, but are dis
couraging to the exporter who does not
understand them.
Many large American manufacturers
have found the Cuban market so impor-
tant that they have established branch
houses in Havana with agents in every
large city of the island, sometimes maxi
ing Havana the headquarters for all Of
the West Indies. This, of course, is the
ideal way where the prospective market
is large enough to warrant it. and 1t is
usually very successful. especially when
care has been exercised In securing a
competent manager.
"Other exporters content themselves
with simply sending a representative to
visit the Cuban trade periodically be-
lieving they can more profitably do bus
mess direct with the customer than