Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1922-04-05
THEABCOF
FOREIGN TRADE
Superior Quality of L. s. Products
Strong Selling Factor in Foreign
Markets

Given plentiful production and an
established foreign trade with coun-
tries overseas, there remains perhaps,
the most vital factor 10 be considered
in connection with the subject. This,
briefly, is the ability to keep and IN
crease foreign trade once It IS estab-
hshed. Many mistakes have been
made in the past by 0verzealous mer-
chants who have considered foreign
markets as places merely 10 dispose
Of production not needed at home.
In domestic markets the producer,
as a rule, is competing with pro-
ducers from nearby points Trade
customs are similar and cOnsPnecS
place orders with fine discrimination
as between trade merits OF the pro-
ducers. The same trade termlnol-
ogy is employed i'm the transaction;
customs and manners likewise are the
same. The medium of exchange IS. OF
course, identical in all instances Of
domestic trade.
Now for a moment look at the other
SHE of the foreign trade question.
The producer in the United States
places his goods in q foreign market.
Everything is different from condl-
tons encountered AT horne. The Ian
guage is not the same, nor Is the
medium of exchange. The trade eX-
pressions, so easily understood i'm tho
United States, have little meaning 10
the foreign customer, or, what IS
worse, are understood by him to mean
sometime other than they do. There
is endless opportunity for confusion.
When this occurs the consumers, un-
able to understand the mental attitude
of the producer in the United States.
is likely 10 turn TO some other com
try for the goods he needs.
Now how can the goods Of the
United States gain a fOothold IN Tor
eign countries sufficiently secure to
withstand any differences Of opinion
which may arise in the transaction OF
selling and buying the products Of the
United States?
Of course, the first answer to this
is adaptability the willingness on the
part Of the producer i'm the United
States not merely to meet the con-
sumer i'm the foreign country half
way, but to 20 all of the way to accom-
modate himself TO the others point Of
view; to see the thing through the
others eyes.
But even stronger than the question
Of adaptability is the one of making
United States goods sold in foreign
countries so good in every particular
that no other country will be able TO
meet them. The success Of Germany
in pre-war days, and Of England, IN
their foreign trade was due primarily
TO the fact that the goods We're made
70 suit the purchaser, not only as to
quality, but also as % price. If the
South .\Nerican customer wants his
goods delivered i'm barrel and the
producer in the United States insists
ON delivering them in 4 box, it will
not be long before that South Amcri-
can customer finds an EngliShman or
a German or q merchant from some
other country who will give him what
he wants in the way he wants it.
But in every country where goods
from the United States have been sold,
even in those countries where di'jc'-
enceS of opinion as TO terms of 3u"-
chase, methods of packing and shin.
ment and various other veXatious
things have arisen, the products from
the United States in the last analysis
have usually proved TO be the best IN
quality. Therefore, it would seem
that a very vital thing to be conSid-
cred in preparing for foreign trade
is that the quality be made just little
bit better than that of any competitor
in the market, that there be a willing
ness on the part of the producer to &c
commodate himself TO the consumer,
that willingness to waive non-eSSen-
tial formalities rather than to insist
upon them be made the rule for the
exrorter in the United States.
the question Of the necessary and
proper financial relationship between
the exporter and his customer will be
considered in a subsequent article of
this series.