Evening star., 1916-07-15
LATIN AMERICANS USE
NORTH AMERICA LUMBER
Argentina and Uruguay Virtually
an Addition to Wood Consuming
Field of the q. S.

Argentina and Uruguay. although about
Z, 600 miles distant from the United States,
constitute virtually an addition to the
domestic wood-consuming field Of the
United States, so similar are market con-
by the bureau of foreign and domestic
commerce on Lumber Markets of the
East Coast of South America which has
just been issued. Special Agent Roger E.
Simmons states that for more than ten
years Sc per cent Of all lumber going
into commerce in the two countries has
come from the forests Of North America
and nearly 96 per cent of the imports. ex-
elusive of those from other South Ameri-
States and Canada.
These figures might seem to indicate
that the markets do not warrant investi-
CATION, but the opposite is true, according
to the report. There IS not only possi-
bility Of further extending the markets
for American lumber, but there Is ne
cessity of calling attention to conditions
prejudicial to the interests Of American
lumber and to certain competitive forces
operating to lessen demand and affect
future consumption.
Dissatisfied With Measurements.
Yellow pine is the principal export from
the United States, and every importer In
terviewed in Argentina and Uruguay em-
phasized the fact that claims over meas
urement discrepancies were the greatest
factor promoting dissatisfaction and dis
couraging the Importation of this kind Of
lumber The yellow pine industry should
a through
tions, the report declares, and see to 1t
that the faults of the present system are
removed or that some better method of
making and guaranteeing measurements
is adopted.
In Brazil the lumber situation is rather
complicated. The virgin forests are un-
measured and contain untold varieties of
tall trees of fairly large diameter. Yet
Brazil is importing 60.000,000 feet of pine
lumber against domestic production Of
45, 900, 900 feet. third of the domestic
pine lumber production is exported.
As in Argentina and Uruguay, yellow
pine from the southern states is the prin-
cipal lumber imported, but Scotch fir
American spruce. which not many years
ago found a market in Brazil primarily
as a substitute for European pine and
fir.
Chile and Peru Markets.
north coasts describes the markets for
lumber in Chile, Peru. Ecuador. Colom-
bia, Venezuela. Trinidad and Curacao.
Chile and Peru are the two big markets,
although the lumber imported by those
two countries is almost exclusively
Douglas fir. Ecuador Is unique in using
practically no imported lumber, but would
be a promising field if the tariff were low
enough to permit American lumber to
enter at lower price. Practically all
the lumber imported by Colombia and
Venezuela comes from the United States,
but the amounts are small, 900, 600 board
feet annually for Colombia and $500, 900
feet for Venezuela. The limited use of
wood in both countries (the total con-
sumption is only 13,000 600 feet in Colom-
bia and 100000 feet in Venezuela) in
comparison with cement and other ma
terfals, points to the need of a lumber
advertising campaign, through which
these markets might be greatly extended,
says the report.