Evening star., 1948-06-13
Argentines
Plan Ahead
Start Network of
Facilities for
Exports
Bv Ben + Never
BY Ben F. Meyer

HAVANA, Cuba. - Argentina is
planning a vast network of ware
houses, cold storage plants and
processing factories to create new
and bigger markets for Argentine
goods in the United States, Europe
and Latin America.
Diego Luis Molinari, Argentine
Senator and economist and one OF
President Juan Peron's special am
bassadors on the project, discussed
the program on a recent visit to
Havana
Trade facilities are being planned
now for Cadiz, Spain, to serve Eu-
rope; at New Orleans, on the United
States Gulf Coast. for United States
markets; at Matanzas, Cuba, for
Cuba and the Caribbean, and in
the Republic of Panama.
The program is one of the most
ambitious of its kind ever under
taken by any government.
Plan Looks to Future
The idea is to build facilities for
the future marketing of Argentina's
increasing production. Already Ar
gentina is one of the worlds great
est food producers. Today it has
q market for all the tremendous
quantities of meat, grain, vegetable
oils, lard and other products. it can
produce. But it is looking toward
the future, when marketing may
be more difficult, and Argentina's
production much greater
The MatanZas, Cuba, plan gives
pretty good idea of what is in pros
pect DR.. Jorge Leonardo is at work
on it in Havana.
MatanZas is on the north coast of
Cuba. n has a fine harbor and is
what the economists call free port
This means that other nations may
send their goods to Mantanzas in
transit, or for processing, without
paying customs duties. Only when
goods from the free port are on the
Cuban market are duties imposed.
One of the main benefits of a free
port is that it enables a foreign
nation to store vast amounts of its
products in the port for indefinite
periods without having to pay out
large sums in customs duties.
DR.. Leonardo, R. Arturo Alvarez,
another Argentine living in Havana,
and MaXimiliano Zincke, president
of Banco Nunez of Matanzas, form
committee studying the Matanzas
development.
ours is a committee for planning
and statistical study. We want to
know the economic possibilities of
the project" said DR.. Leonardo.
He said the packaging plant would
take care of Argentine products
which, to save shipping space and
weight, might better be sent in
bulk.
New Orleans Promotes
In New Orleans, there is a lively
interest in promoting trade between
the Americas. 1t has a fine port,
the Mississippi River offers water
transport to rich area of the Mid
ole West and there are good railroad
facilities It is a free port also.
Business and industrial interests of
the New Orleans and Mississippi
Valley area have established an
active organization known as the
International House to foster trade.
1t does extensive work in market
research to bring buyers and sellers
together throughout the Americas.
Panama is considered a natural
for one of the Argentine commercial
centers. The Panama Canal would
give Argentine ships access to both
United States coasts. Argentine has
its own fleet of merchant vessels.
which ply both the east and west
coasts of South America.
DR.. Leonardo said the program
would facilitate trade between all
nations it touches.
Our ships which take Argentine
goods to Spain, for example, might
bring back Spanish products to New
Orleans, Matanzas or Panama." he
said.
Among Argentina's principal eX-
port products are wheat, beef. lamb,
pork, barley, corn, rye. vegetable oils,
lard, tallow, condensed milk, leather,
hides, wine and fruits.
Distributed bv the Associated Press)