The United States dominates the total import trade as well as the foodstuffs trade of Cuba. The proportion of total imports from the United States, however, is larger than the proportion of foodstuffs. In 1923, out of total imports into Cuba of $268,951,000 the United States supplied $181,717,000, or about 67.5 per cent. For the same year the foodstuffs imports were valued at $95,158,000, of which $50,926,000 worth, or about 52.5 per cent, came from the United States. In 1922 about 67 per cent of the total imports and about 56 per cent of the foodstuffs came from this country. IMPORTS OF FOODSTUFFS BY CLASSES The following table shows the imports of foodstuffs into Cuba, by classes, for pre-war and postwar years: IMPORTS OF FOODSTUFFS INTO CUBA BY CLASSES The most important class of foodstuffs imported into Cuba is cereals, chiefly rice, corn, barley, and manufactured wheat products, such as wheat flour, macaroni, and biscuits. During the five years 1909-10 to 1913-14 cereals made up 32.7 per cent of the total value of imported foodstuffs. During 1919-1923, the proportion was 34.3 per cent. Meats are the second most important class, making up 23.4 per cent of the total imports in postwar years and 25.7 per cent before the war. Vegetables are next in importance, followed by oils and liquors, milk products, fish, and fruit. Expressed in terms of the percentage of total foodstuffs imports, the importations and cereals and vegetables show an increase, while the imports of meats have decreased. ORIGIN OF IMPORTS OF FOODSTUFFS The importance of the various countries as sources of supply for the different classes of foodstuffs in 1923 is shown in the following table: IMPORTS OF FOODSTUFFS INTO CUBA, BY CLASSES, FOR 1923 The United States is the chief source for every class of imports except fish and oils and liquors. The large imports of codfish from Canada and Norway and of oils and liquors from Spain account for Following the United States as a source of imports are those countries grouped as "other American countries." The largest of the imports from these countries are jerked beef from Uruguay and Argentina; codfish, wheat flour, and potatoes from Canada; chickpeas from Mexico; and coffee from Porto Rico. Large imports from other countries consist of rice from India, Indo-China, the United Kingdom, and Germany, olive oil from Spain, condensed milk from the United Kingdom, and cheese from Holland. Foodstuffs in 1923 comprised 27 per cent of the total imports from the United States, 77 per cent of those from other American countries, 26 per cent from the United Kingdom, 68 per cent from Spain, 18 per cent from Germany, 9 per cent from France, 38 per cent from other Eurpoean countries, and 69 per cent from all other countries. The small percentage of foodstuffs in the imports from France is partic- IMPORTS OF FOODSTUFFS INTO CUBA, BY ARTICLES AND COUNTRIES Rice, a staple food in Cuba, is in point of value the most import commodity imported into the island. The following table shows the imports of rice into Cuba in 1913 and for 1920 to 1923, inclusive: A marked change in the countries from which Cuba gets its rice is shown by the table. In 1913 the leading source was Germany which supplied 38 per cent of the total imports. The United King- dom was next with 33 per cent, and India third with 22 per cent. remainder was supplied by the United States, the Netherlands, Spain, and Belgium. In 1923, on the other hand, India was the leading source, supplying 55 per cent of the total. The United Kingdom was next with 14 per cent, Germany with 8 per cent, the United States 7.5 per cent and China 7.5 per cent. Other important sources of supply were Japan, Siam, and Spain. The fundamental difference between the Cuban import trade in rice in 1913 and 1923 is, of course, that in the latter year it relied to a much greater extent upon surplus-producing countries in the Far East rather than, as in 1913, upon reexporting countries in Europe. The importance of the United States as a source of rice has declined steadily since 1920, although much more of this cereal is still shipped to Cuba from this country than was the case before the war. The largest part of the rice shipped to Cuba from the United States is domestically produced. WHEAT FLOUR Wheat flour is, in point of value, one of the most important foodstuffs imported into Cuba. The United States supplies, on the average, about 90 per cent of the total imports. The following table shows the imports of wheat flour into Cuba for 1913 and from 1920 to 1923, inclusive: Imports of flour from the United States consistently exceed 1,000,000 barrels annually. Canada supplied no flour in 1913, 48,000 barrels in 1920, and 190,000 barrels in 1923. Imports from other countries are of no consequence. The value of wheat flour imported into Cuba in 1923 was $8,515,000. Flour manufactured from both hard and soft wheat is consumed in Cuba. Cuban bakers require a flour which will produce the maximum number of loaves of bread. It is the custom of the bakers to blend the hard Minnesota or Canadian flour with hard winter flour from Kansas, Oklahoma, etc., or with soft wheat flour from the eastern part of the United States. The competition of Canadian flour is, therefore, with the hard flour from the United States. A small amount of corn and oat flour is imported into Cuba, the total imports of this flour amounting in 1923 to 23,679 barrels, valued at $121,140. CORN Corn is second only to rice as an imported foodstuff. The United States and Argentina are the only important sources of supply. The total imports of corn in 1913 amounted to 2,238,000 bushels, of which 82 per cent came from the United States and 18 per cent from Argentina. In 1923, out of total imports of corn amounting to 3,187,000 bushels, the United States supplied 85 per cent and Argentina almost 15 per cent. Some corn of a local variety is grown in Cuba, but the supply is much too small to meet the large demand, and dependence must be placed upon the United States and Argentina for the bulk of the supply. Corn from the United States has the advantage of materially lower freight rates than that from Argentina. In only one year, 1920, has Argentine corn seriously threatened the supremacy of the American variety in the Cuban market. In that year about 40 per cent of the corn imports came from Argentina as compared with 58 per cent from the United States. Most of the corn imported into Cuba is used as animal feed, particularly for poultry, a large number of which are raised on the island. MANUFACTURED CEREALS The principal manufactured cereals imported into Cuba are biscuits and crackers, macaroni, vermicelli, and other alimentary pastes. The importation of these products fluctuates greatly from year to year, since they are, for the most part, bought by the more well-to-do class. To such commodities, therefore, the state of prosperity in the island is of much importance. Biscuits and crackers particularly fancy biscuits-make up the most important item in the Cuban imports of manufactured cereals. Imports of fancy and other biscuits and crackers into Cuba during 1913 and 1920 to 1923, inclusive, follow: Before the war British manufacturers dominated the Cuban market for fancy biscuits, the United Kingdom in 1913 supplying 429,000 pounds as compared with 92,000 pounds from the United States, out of total imports of 564,000 pounds. In postwar years, however, the United States has supplied the larger part of Cuba's imports of fancy biscuits. The United States has always supplied practically all of Cuba's imports of biscuits and crackers other than fancy. Total receipts of biscuits and crackers into Cuba amounted to 2,806,000 pounds in 1923 as compared with 6,140,000 pounds in 1920, and 791,000 pounds in 1913. The value of the imports were $577,000 in 1923, $1,156,000 in 1920, and $100,000 in 1913. MACARONI, VERMICELLI, AND ALİMENTARY PASTES Most of the macaroni and vermicelli imported into Cuba comes. from the United States and Spain, with China as the only other consistent source of supply, although the imports from the latter country are small. CUBAN IMPORTS OF MACARONI AND VERMICELLI, AND ALIMENTARY OR SOUP The United States supplied a much larger proportion of macaroni and vermicelli before the war than since. In 1913, out of total imports amounting to 2,349,000 pounds, the United States supplied 1,986,000 and Spain 319,000. In 1923 the total imports amounted to 496,000 pounds, of which the United States accounted for 303,000 and Spain 176,000. The particularly noticeable decrease in the total imports of macaroni and vermicelli may be accounted for by the increase in domestic production. The local manufacturers produce the cheaper grades príncipally, and it is the higher grades which are imported. Alimentary or soup pastes make up a substantial item in the import trade in manufactured cereals, but the total imports have been smaller since than before the war. The United States and Spain dominate the trade. Ordinarily the largest amount is obtained from the United States, but in 1922, out of total imports of 1,085,000pounds, Spain supplied 552,000 pounds and the United States 470,000 pounds. The increase in local production is the principal reason for the decline in imports. |