No. 337.
Mr. Russell to Mr. Fish.
Caracas, September 26, 1876. (Received October 28.)
Sir: I have the honor to submit a brief statement as to the imports of Venezuela from the United States. I have tried to obtain statistics showing the increase of trade, and specifying the amount and value of each of the leading articles. It has been impossible, however, to obtain anything of the kind from the officials of Venezuela. A few suggestions, however, may not be wholly without value.
It is well known that for causes which are partly political, and which are ably set forth in a report of the State Department July 14, 1870, the United States have never had their natural share of South American trade. United States cotton is spun and woven in England, selling at high profits, after its two long ocean voyages. North American flour is carried 3,500 miles, to be baked in various forms, that it may then be conveyed nearly 5,000 miles to a market only 2,000 miles from its starting-point. Agricultural implements, in which the United States are supposed to excel, are brought across the ocean to South America. These facts are familiar. It is also known to business men that the commerce which has been engrossed by England is now largely shared by the Germans, who have obtained it by their enterprise in establishing steam-lines, and also, it is said, by underselling their rivals and supplying cheaper and inferior articles.
At present political influences favor the United States, and in Venezuela there is a disposition to buy the products of United States industry. So far as fashion affects trade, ours is the favored nation. As one proof of this, five establishments devoted wholly to the sale of North American articles have been set up in Caracas within a year, while other establishments have greatly increased their imports of our goods. The government also has bought largely of war materials and other things, so that leading English papers have complained that Venezuela borrows of Great Britain and buys of America.
The leading articles of importation are as they have been, flour, kerosene, lard, hams, soap and tallow, furniture, glass, hardware, domestic utensils; articles known as “Yankee notions” are coming into favor. Lumber is now brought in large quantities, especially hard pine for flooring, taking the place of brick and cement, which have been the general and unhealthful materials for floors in this country. A great building enterprize, under the charge of an excellent American builder, will probably employ a large amount of American materials as well as a large number of American workmen. Most lumber is now free from duties.
Choice specimens of horses and cattle have been introduced of late from North America; and the well-known firm of H. L. Boulton & Co. are about to import cattle for food, on a large scale, bringing them from Texas by steam-vessels. Even maize has been brought from the United States, selling at this time at 80 cents per almud, or about $3.50 United States gold per bushel. Such branches of trade depending for their profit upon exceptional and temporary circumstances will flourish more when Venezuela is connected with the United States by telegraph. This will soon be the case, arrangements having been made for a wire to be carried to Trinidad. Coal is an article which will be hereafter sent from the United States to Venezuela, where fuel is scarce and dear.
[Page 613]Probably the best field now open here for United States trade is the import of cotton goods. These, especially prints and sheetings, are now in demand, and bring good prices. The demand is likely to increase as buyers learn the quality of these goods.
The only figures showing the comparative import trade for two years are furnished by our faithful consul at Puerto Cabello, Dr. Lacombe. It is not his fault that he could not obtain a specification of articles, with the amount and value of each.
| Value in venezolanos. | ||
| Quarter ending | September 30, 1874 | 84,151.06 |
| December 31, 1874 | 39,348.44 | |
| March 31, 1875 | 98,853.77 | |
| June 30, 1875 | 300,886.86 | |
| Year ending | June 30, 1875—total | 523,240.13 |
| Quarter ending | September 30, 1875 | 452,779.46 |
| December 31, 1875 | 316,406.80 | |
| March 31, 1876 | 570,622. 09 | |
| June 30, 1876 | 186,864.91 | |
| Year ending | June 30, 1876—total | 1,526,673.26 |
| Increase | 1,003,433.13 | |
A portion of this increase is occasioned by the fact that the whole foreign trade of Maracaibo has been transferred to Puerto Cabello. But Maracaibo, although formerly the first exporting city of Venezuela, has never imported largely, receiving less than half the amount of duties paid at the custom-house of Puerto Cabello. The fact that there was a considerable increase of United States imports appears further from the official statement that in the year ending June 30, 1875, the imports from the United States of America amounted only to 2,693,891.55 venezolanos, including, of course, La Guaira, which was and is the chief place for importation, especially of United Slates goods. I renew my regrets that it has not been possible to procure statistics from Maracaibo and La Guaira. I am confident that they would show clearly an increase of imports from the United States of America, and more clearly a relative increase as compared with the imports from other countries during a dull year.
These facts have seemed of interest to me, because they show that there is a hope of still more extended commerce; and those persons appear to be right who believe that one way to relieve business distress in the United States is to make better use of the South American market.
I have, &c.,