Ecuador exported hides in 1912 to the value of $29,839; 1913, $5,604; 1914, $120,730; 1915, $66,459; 1916, $148,864. In a statement from the United States consul at Guayaquil (Com merce Reports, 13 Jan. 1917), it is said that the total for the year 1916 was shipped to the United States. Evidently on a different valu ation, the reports of the United States Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce give the amounts purchased from Ecuador as follows: 1916, 2,059,616 pounds, valued at $409,047 and 1917, 2,217,529 pounds, valued at $613,417.
Paraguay, during its entire history, has rec ognized the raising of cattle for their hides as one of its most important resources, and at the present time there is a marked increase in the production and export of this staple. The num ber exported, in 1910, was 343,447; 1911, 302, 375; 1912, 238,042; 1913, 362,484; 1914, 318,397, and 1915, 340,692. In 1915 the greatest num ber sent to any one country was 75,175 hides, to the United States, the other large purchasers being Holland, Great Britain, Argentina and Uruguay. Evidently a part was credited to some of the transshipping countries, as the statistics of the United States Department of Commerce credit Paraguay with hides as fol lows: 1915 (fiscal year ending 30 June), 129 pieces (8,531 pounds), valued at $933, and 1916, 141 pieces (8,632 pounds), valued at $1,733. These are the only exports to the United States noted within recent years.
Peru exported hides, in 1912, to the value of $617410; 1913, $930,629; 1914, $641,624, and 1915, $521,947. United States government statistics specify imports of hides from Peru, in the fiscal year 1915, at 1,003,134 pounds, Valued at $174,375, and 1916, 3,263,109 pounds, valued at $584,542.
Uruguay, during the year 1909, exported hides to the value of $11,165,155; 1910, $11, 147,242; 1911, $9,976,291, and in 1914, 2,079,514 pounds, valued at $8,015,476. Exports to the United States during the fiscal year ending 30 June 1915 amounted to 21,875,639 pounds, valued at $4,117,359; 1916. 44,254,341 pounds, valued at $9,275,658, and 1917, 47,314,408 pounds, valued at $9,879,167.
Venezuela exported hides, in 1913, to the value of $1,492,000; 1914, $1,390,000, and the first half of 1915, $845,000. Her principal market is the United States. On an apparently different valuation, the statistics of the Depart ment of 'Commerce state the imports of hides from Venezuela, during the fiscal year ending 30 June 1915, as 7,033,382 pounds, valued at $1,639,456, and 1916, 7,530,524 pounds, valued at $1,901,421.
Regarding the northern group of Latin American states, comprising Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Haiti, Hon duras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama and Sal vador, reference is made elsewhere in this work (see LATIN AMERICA, CATTLE AND MEAT INDUS TRY or). Of exports to the United States in 1916, Central America contributed $1,523,209 worth of hides, with the greatest proportion coming from Nicaragua, Panama and Hon duras. During the same year Mexico exported to the United States hides to the value of $7,661,104; and the West Indies, including for eign possessions, $3,433,804, of which Cuba con tributed $2,922,298. W. B. GRAHAM, Trade Expert, Latin-American Division, War Trade Board, Washington, D. C.