Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1914-09-18
An IMMENSE TRADE
Commerce Of the United States
With Pan-America.
Figures show Imports and Exports
Largest In North American coun-
tries--in South America Brazil
10 Best Customer.


Largest In North American coun-
tries--In South America Brazil
10 Best Customer. ~
Washington.-Trade of the United
States with other American countries
in the fiscal year ended June 30. 1914.
aggregated 1908 million dollars, and
constituted 80 per cent OF the entire
commerce handled by domestic ports.
OF this large New-World commerce.
sb6 million was with North America
and SAT million with South America
Our imports from North American
countries, valued at 427 million dollars
in the fiscal year, were chiefly from
Canada, Cuba, Mexico. the Central
American States, and the British West
Indies. Our exports to North Ameri-
can countries, 500 million dollars IN
value, were chiefly to Canada, 345 mil
lion; Cuba, So million; and Central
America and Mexico. each about 30
million. The United States supplies
larger proportion Of the leading coun-
tries of North America than any other
nation, and in the case Of Canada, Gen.
trail America, and Cuba. more than all
other parts Of the world combined.
OF our 223 million dollars worth Of
imports from South America. nearly
one-half were from Brazil, about 20
per cent from Argentina, and the re-
mainder chiefly from Chile, Colombia.
Venezuela, and Peru. Nearly one
fourth of our total exports of 125 mil
lion dollars value to South America
went to Brazil and over one-third to
Argentina. In sharp contrast with the
high position of the United States IN
the North American markets is its low
rank among the nations selling goods
in South America where, in the case Of
such important countries as Argentina,
Brazil, and Chile, only about Ii per
cent OF the imports were from this
country. Solth America as whole
imported in 1912 over 965 million dol
lars worth of foreign goods, our share
being about IA per cent.
The relatively small contributions Of
American manufacturers and export
ers to the requirements Of the South
American markets draws attention to
Q recent publication Of the Bureau Of
Foreign and Domestic Commerce. De-
partment of Commerce. entitled South
America as an Export Field" Special
Agents Series No. 81, and sold by the
Public Printer at the nominal price Of
Is cents. In that publication CONNER
cial Agent Otto Wilson outlines the
conditions necessary for the success
full sale of goods, the lines OF manu-
features required In South America,
and the standing of the leading nations
a. contributors to those requirements.
It is pointed out, for example, that Ar.
gentina imports large quantities OF
manufactures Of the class produced In
the United States, but that the United
Kingdom and Germany supply more Of
them, as . whole. than this country;
while France sells there five times as
many automobiles, Germany 20 times
as many iron beams, three times AZ
many cotton goods, and England rs
times az much coal and twice as much
machinery in that market as the
United States. This disparity in favor
of European countries extends to many
other articles and practically all coun-
tries of South America, each Of which
is interestingly discussed in the mono
graph named.
A mere enumeration Of few of the
principal articles imported by Brazil
will serve to illustrate the opportuni-
ties which await American exporters
in that and other South American
fields: Arms and ammunition, cars,
automobiles, cotton goods, pharma-
ceutical preparations, electrical appa-
ratus, cutlery, machinery, leather,
printing paper, perfumeries, tin plate,
soap, and wearing apparel, all of which
are bought in large quantities.; and In
practically every case are obtained
more largely from England, Germany,
and France than from the United
States. The Governments Daily Con-
sular and Trade Reports" are also pre-
senting cable dispatches from South
America which indicate the special
needs of these markets owing to the
supplies from Europe being cut off,
Eight South American countries