Good Traders

Where in the world does the U.S. do the biggest share of its foreign trading? In the Latin American republics, says the Department of Commerce. In 1952 the 20 republics sold the U.S. coffee, minerals, sugar, oil and other products worth $3,410,000,000. They bought U.S. machinery, cars, wheat, chemicals and other products worth $3,477,000,000. The two figures, added together, easily topped either of the other major trading areas, Western Europe and Canada.*

Among the 20 republics, Mexico was the best customer, buying two-thirds of a billion dollars' worth of U.S. goods. Other big buyers: Brazil ($564 million), Cuba ($516 million), Venezuela ($500 million). Brazil led the suppliers, sending $808 million, mostly in coffee. Runners-up: Cuba ($438 million, mostly sugar), Mexico ($411 million, mostly lead and zinc), Venezuela ($396 million, mostly oil).

Some future good business for the Good Traders of Latin America shaped up : P: The Ford Motor Co. opened a $10 million assembly plant in Sao Paulo, Brazil, which renamed one of its streets Avenida Henry Ford.

P: Cuba, taking advantage of the forthcoming end of British sugar rationing, contracted to sell Britain an extra million tons of raw sugar for about $64 million.

The deal assured the sale of the whole 1953 sugar crop plus part of the worrisome 1,400,000-ton carry-over from last year's bumper harvest.

*Although Canada is far ahead of any other single country both as supplier and customer.

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