Twenty-fifth Annual Report of The United States Tariff Commission

1941

UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE WASHINGTON : 1941

For sale by the SuP"rintendent or Documents. Washington, D. C. • • • • • • • Price 10 cents UNITED STATES TARIFF COMMISSION

RAYMOND B. STEVENS, Cha.irrnan OSCAR B. RYDER, Vice Chairman EDGAR B. BROSSARD E. DANA DURAND E. M. WHITCOMB, Acting Secretary

Address all communications UNITED STATES TARIFF COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D. C. JI LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL

UNITED STATES TARIFF CoMMISSION1 W (J)Jhington, December 1, 1941. Sm: I have the honor to transmit to you the Twenty-fifth Annual Report of the United States Tariff Commission, in compliance with the provisions of Section 332 of the Act of Congress approved June 17, 1930. Respectfully, RAYMOND B. STEVENS, Chavrrruzn.

The PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE, The SPEAKER OF THE HousE OF REPRF.BENTATIVES. m

CONTENTS Page Introduction and summary ______-----_------______I

CURRENT WORK Cooperation in the defense program______4 Copper------5 Long-staple cotton______5 Foods------5 Stock piles______8 Douglas-fir-lumber industry ______------______8 Crude drugs______8 Rubber______8 Synthetic organic chemicals______9 Mica, graphite, and other strategic nonmetallic materials______9 Refractory brick______9 Explosives and fertilizers ______------______9 United States-Canadian cooperation______9 Wool textiles______9 Raw silk and silk waste __ ------______10 Cork______10 Priorities ______------______10 Inventories of cost information______10 Labor problems ______------______10 Manila fiber and cordage______10 Factors affecting prices of certain commodities______11 Petroleum refining______11 Raw wool______11 Army purchases of fish______11 Lend-Lease purchases of fish______lZ Lead and zinc______lZ Pulp, paper, and paper products______12 Cooperation with the Office of Price Administration______12 Studies of costs of production, prices, and profit margins______12 Cooperation with the Economic Defense Board______13 Trade statistics ______------_--- ______14 Iron and steel______14 Industrial conservation ______- ______14 Cooperation with Latin America ______------______14 Cooperation with other Government agencies and assistance to Committees of Congress______14 Assistance to Committees of Congress______15 Assistance to other Government agencies______16 Acknowledgment______17 Activities in the trade-agreements program: Trade agreements: Agreement with Argentina ___ ----- ______---- ___ - _ _ _ _ 17 Negotiations with Cuba______18 Trade agreements concluded______19 Assistance to the Committee for Reciprocity Information______20 Activities under section 332 of the Tariff Act of 1930 (general powers): Completed reports______20 The Foreign Trade of Latin America______21 Latin America as a Source of Strategic and Other Essential Materials______21 Reference Manual of Latin American Commercial Treaties (Spanish edition)______24

Activities under section 332 of the Tariff Act of 1930-Continued. Page Completed reports-Continued. Italian Commercial Policy and Foreign Trade, 1922-1940______25 Regulation of Imports by Executive Action______25 -lndustries Affected by Trade Agreements______26 United States Imports from and Their Relation to the Defense Program and to the Economy of the Country______27 -Possibilities of Producing Rubber in the United States and Rubber Conservation ______------28 Earthen Floor and Wall Tiles------29 Hogs and Hog Products------29 Synthetic Organic Chemicals, United States Production and Sales, 1940 ______------30 Analysis of Imports of Miscellaneous Chemicals, 1939 and 1940_ _ 31 Analysis of Imports of Miscellaneous Crude Drugs in 1939______32 Cumulative supplement to "Changes in Import Duties Since the Passage of the Tariff Act of 1930" ______- _ - __ ---- __ -- 33 Supplement to List of Tariff Commission Publications______33 United States Imports from Asia, 1938