1919 were less than one-half of 1 per cent of production, although in 1914 they amounted to nearly 6 per cent. In 1921 they were probably between 1 and 2 per cent of production. Domestic exports.-The value of exports increased from $297,307 in the fiscal year 1910 to $1,251,743 in the calendar year 1920. There were some fluctuations, but the general tendency was toward an increase. Exports decreased to $590,549 in 1921. The larger figures of recent years are due in considerable part to an increase in price per unit. In 1914 exports amounted to 2.85 per cent of domestic production and in 1919 to 3.90 per cent. The proportion in 1921 was probably somewhat smaller than in 1919. Ordinarily Canada has received more than half of the exports of wall paper from the United States, and the United Kingdom, Mexico, Argentína, Chile, Colombia, Australia, and New Zealand have received more or less scattering amounts. In 1919 France, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Brazil were also rather important in the export trade in wall paper. In Germany, before the war, American wall paper was not able to compete on the basis of price with the domestic product. Only American wall paper with special taste and distinctiveness of design could be marketed in Germany. American exports to Germany were very small, although Germany shipped wall paper to the United States in greater quantities than did any other country. FOREIGN PRODUCTION. Separate figures for hanging and wall paper production in the three countries of importance as sources of imports of wall paper, namely, Germany, the United Kingdom, and Japan, are not available. There are about 60 wall-paper factories in Germany. The United States and Germany are the two most important producers of wall paper in the world. Their relative position is difficult to determine, but the United States probably leads. Canada in 1919 produced 7,463 short tons of hanging paper, valued at $574,191. IMPORTS. Hanging paper. No separate statistics are available. Wall paper. The value of imports for consumption of wall paper increased from $671,904 in the fiscal year 1907 to $1,052,792 in the fiscal year 1913. After 1913 it decreased steadily to $99,674 in the calendar year 1919. In 1920 and 1921, however, it amounted to $361,363 and $355,760, respectively. In the fiscal year 1914, when imports were practically at their high point, they were slightly less than 6 per cent by value of domestic production. In the calendar year 1919 they amounted to 0.43 per cent of domestic production. In 1920 and 1921 it is probable that the proportion of imports to domestic production was between 1 and 2 per cent. Germany was formerly our great competitor, both in export markets and in our domestic trade. In 1913 Germany sent the United States wall paper amounting in value to $646,358, or approximately 4 per cent of our total domestic production. After the fiscal year 1914, however, German exports to the United States declined, and in 1917 ceased entirely. In the calendar year 1919 they began again in a small way, and by 1921 they amounted to nearly one-half of the imports of wall paper. The United Kingdom and Japan rank next in importance as sources of wall paper. TARIFF HISTORY. Paper hangings have been dutiable at 25 per cent ad valorem by every tariff act from 1883 to 1913, except that of 1894, by which they were dutiable at 20 per cent. No effect of the tariff rate on imports is discernible, for the rate has been practically constant, and imports into the United States increased steadily up to the outbreak of war, when hostilities caused their decrease to a small fraction of their pre-war volume. PRICES. The following table shows the range of contract and open-market prices, and where available the average prices f. o. b. mill, actually paid by wall-paper concerns for No. 2 white hanging paper, per 100 pounds, during specified months in 1919 and 1920: 4 Until after July in 1919, the open-market price lagged behind the contract price. From October, 1919, for somewhat more than a year, on a market short of supplies, the average open-market price paid by wall-paper makers was considerably higher than the contract price. By December, however, the open-market price had fallen below the contract price. Although the range of contract prices. increased between October and December, 1920, the average contract price declined slightly. The hanging-paper market has manifested much the same tendencies as the newsprint-paper market. COMPETITIVE CONDITIONS. Hanging paper.-The United States is practically free from foreign competition in hanging papers. Countries like Germany, which before the war had a large export trade in wall paper, preferred to manufacture their hanging paper into wall paper before exporting it. • The compilation of statistics on hanging paper was discontinued in 1921. Wall paper. That the industry is not subject to very dangerous foreign competition is demonstrated by the fact that in the calendar year 1919 exports of wall paper amounted to $899,457 as compared with imports of $99,674. Imports into the United States in 1919 amounted only to 0.43 of 1 per cent of production. Even in 1921, when industry in general was suffering from depression, imports amounted probably to only between 1 and 2 per cent of production, while exports amounted to one and one-half times imports. in Before the war, as now, Germany, the United Kingdom, and Japan were the only countries that sent wall paper to the United States in significant amounts. In 1914 imports were nearly 6 per cent of domestic production. Of these three countries, Germany was the only serious competitor. In 1913, a representative pre-war year, Germany sent the United States $646,358 worth of wall paper in spite of the 25 per cent tariff. This was about 4 per cent of domestic production in that year. On the other hand, the same year the United States sent to Germany only $16,725 worth of wall paper. Furthermore, Germany was far ahead of the United States as a general exporter of wall paper. In 1912 and 1913 she exported $2,257,200 and $2,180,300 worth, respectively, of wall paper in comparison with total domestic exports of $399,121 and $482,836 in the same years. The actual amounts of these exports were 13,947 and 13,197 short tons-undoubtedly from 15 to 20 per cent of American production. Germany was the dominant figure in the world's wall-paper market. It was reported just before the war from Germany that overproduction in wall paper prevailed. Prices were much lower than American prices. Our wall-paper trade with the United Kingdom was not so onesided. In 1913 and 1914 we imported from her $236,395 and $222,667 worth, respectively, and exported to her $50,164 and $40,971 worth. The United Kingdom herself used to be one of the largest importers of German wall paper. Japanese exports to the United States were not in such volume as to offer serious competition. STATISTICAL TABLES. Production of hanging paper in United States, by States, 1899–1919. ་ Production of hanging paper in United States, by years, 1899–1921. Production of hanging paper in United States, by months, 1919, 1920, and 1921. Illinois. Ohio.. Pennsylvania. All other.. Total. Production of wall paper in United States, by States, 1899–1919. State. 1919 $5,707,927 3,334, 261 7,037,962 (1) 5,588,875 1,378, 876 23,047,901 1 Ohio included in “All other.’ ? Includes paper ultimately intended to be used for purposes of interior decoration such as No. 2 hanging, oatmeal, tile paper, etc. 1918... 1919.. Production of wall paper in United States, by years,1 1918–1920. [From Federal Trade Commission.] Short tons. 2 53,902 *1920.. 1 Compilation of figures discontinued in 1921. 2 April to December only. Production of wall paper in United States, by months, 1919 and 1920. Short tons. 99,511 |