Evening star., 1935-06-16
II. s. ONCE MORE LEADS
SOUTH AMERICAN TRADE
Decrease of Last Six Years Overcome.
Pendulum Swings Back and
Commerce Climbs Again.

is eloquently confirmed by the 1884
statistics of inter-American trade,
subject Of this comment. Last year,
the circumstances having changed.
the United States not only recaptured
its leadership in the South American
market, but the percentage in the
increase of its sales to South Ameri-
can nations was almost twice as
large as that of all the other sup
pliers of the Southern continent.
Whereas the 10 South American
republics increased their total imports
from S576, 100000 in 1888 to $705,-
900 900 in 1894, an increase Of % per
cent, their imports from the United
States increased in the same period by
al per cent. On the other hand, their
imports from Great Britain, which
had held first place in 1888, increased
by only I8 per cent. The same may
be said of imports from Germany,
France and Italy, which Increased
slightly in comparison with the gains
made by the United States.
The details of such gains. disclosed
by recently published statistics. are
truly startling. Argentina's imports
from the United States increased four
times faster than the country's total
import trade. Chile increased its i'm
ports by SO per cent. but its pur-
chases from the United States in
creased by 10 per cent. Those OF
Ecuador increased by 1l3 per cent.
Uruguay, through a series of laws and
regulations to protect credit and for
eign exchange, managed to hold the
total imports down to an increase
Of only IL per cent. but the imports
from the United States increased,
nevertheless, by 10 per cent.
Purchases Account for Gain
It Is true that the steady improve"
ment of business in general through
out the Continent, with renewal OF
purchasing power and of the demand
for imported merchandise, must be
taken into consideration to account
for last years recovery in inter-
American trade. But that does not
explain the wide differences In the
increases which correspond to the
various major powers competing Tor
the South American markets. Tne
depreciation of the dollar may be ad-
duced as favoring the position OF the
United States, but that advantage was
also shared by its nearest rival, Tor
the pound has also deprecated.
The most reasonable explanation Of
the remarkable comeback of inter-
American trade in 1884 is the sub
stantial increase in United States pur-
chases of South American raw mate
rials, which created dollar exchange
with which South Americans could
buy in the northern markets. 1t is
significant to note that the gains made
by the United States in South America
have been registered at the end OF the
first year In which the State Depart
ment openly embarked on a policy
of liberal trade and commercial reci-
procity. and in which the United
States increased its purchases OF South
American products by Is per cent.
Last years statistics should reveal
to the statesmen at Washington the
advantages inherent in the buy from
those who buy from us" slogan Of
the South Americans. A IS per cent
increase in orders for South American
raw materials brought q Al per cent
increase in sales Of United States
goods to the South American countries.
lconyrisht. 1851