Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1914-08-26
WHAT AND WHERE ARGENTINA BUYS AND
SELLS

foreign trade of nearly billion dollars year is
enough to make the exporters and importers OF the
United States sit up and take notice of country and
Argentina crowded that figure last year To be little
more exact it was about SSSOO0O0OO. That is nearly
$125 per capita The foreign trade of the United States
is about S4420 per capita. Evidently Argentina is some
trading nation and the questions What and from whom
does that country buy? and What and to whom does it
sell? are Just of peculiar Importance Pan-Euro
pean war is stirring up the business interests of the
United States they have never been stirred before and
they want to know number of things
In this connection the Pan American Unon Washing
ton D. G.. publishes in the July number of its Monthly
Bulletin detailed review of the commerce of Argentina
for 1913 which reveals very important facts. For
instance find that in textiles including manufactures
of silk WOOL cotton and other fbres Argentina imported
nearly $90000000 worth; iron STEEL and manufactures
thereof to the value of S50000000 railway cars auto
mobiles, and other vehicles worth over $37OOO,0OO
earths stone, coal, etc, nearly S37O0O0OO; building
materials nearly $36 000 000 and food products $35000
000 These are but six of the 10 major cassfcations
given in detail.
Who sold Argentina the goods? The following are the
amounts in round numbers of the imports from each of
the leading six countries given in Argentine dollars and
Argentine dollar is worth about 81 cents in United
States money From the United Kingdom Great Britain
not including Canada Australia other possessons)
$l3O,9O0,0O0; Germany, $71,000,0O0 United States
S620O0000; France S55OO0O00; Italy, S3500O0O0 Bel
GUM, $220O00OO Of the total imports the United King
dom furnished 3l1 per cent; Germany, 1863 per cent;
United States, lat; France g. Italy, 83; Belgium, 81
In other words over 54 per cent of ArgentnaS imports
in 1918 from four of the European countries now
busiy engaged in trying to extermnate one another
The second question, What and to whom does the
country sell? is about as important as the first. If
Argentina can't sell her products she can't get the money
to buy. That's pretty plain proposition. Now, what
does she sell? Preemnenty food products needed just
now by the warning nations perhaps never before
Last year Argentina sold over $3O0000000 worth of
agricultural products, consisting principally of corn
$l12,O0O0O0 wheat $1030O0000; lnseed S50OOOO00
oats $200OO00O barley, $l0OO000; rye $567 900; pota
toes fruits, hay, etc, in smaller quantities.
Of live animals and meat products she sold S166000000
worth Of frozen beef 32l.000 tons went to the
United Kingdom; 3415 tons to Italy, 1882 tons to the
United States and 767 tons to France Of frozen NUT
ton 45 3 tons went TO the United Kingdom 254 tons to
France; and 245 tons to the United States
Food products like those mentioned will be in such
demand that ways and will be found to transport
them to Europe and there should be any surplus doubt
less the United States will be glad to be larger pur-
chaser Other products however may not be so easily
disposed of For instance of the exports of salt cattle
hides 10000 tons went to Germany 14000 tons to
1000 tons to Belgium ETC. OF flint cattle hides nearly
600 tons went to the United States 4OO tons to Ger
many $500 tons to Italy, 1900 tons to Belgium etc
Of unwashed wool over 10000 tons went to Germany,
1000 tons TO Frances 1850 tons to the United Kngdom
10000 tons to Belgium; and $500 tons to the United
States uebracho logs and quebracho extract for tan
nng puposeSl were exported to the amount of about
Sl0O0OOO0. The question for the consumers of such
products as these in the United States will be how much
OF them can this country buy The greater the imports
into the United States from Argentina the greater will
be the amount OF exports to that country Both sides
the question must be considered