and 1933-37_
-------------------+----------+----------+----------
Imported from— | 1931 | 1933 | 1934
-------------------+----------+----------+----------
| Quantity (pounds)
+----------+----------+----------
Germany |10,496,640|12,649,280|10,660,160
Netherlands | 922,880| 147,840| 20,160
Canada | 185,920| 120,960| 168,000
All other countries| 89,600| | 2,240
+----------+----------+----------
Total |11,695,040|12,918,080|10,850,560
+----------+----------+----------
| Value
+----------+----------+----------
Germany | $401,976| $473,703| $415,777
Netherlands | 31,523| 5,034| 666
Canada | 9,107| 4,501| 7,032
All other countries| 3,068| | 200
+----------+----------+----------
Total | 445,674| 483,238| 423,675
+----------+----------+----------
| Unit value
+----------+----------+----------
Germany | $0.038| $0.037| $0.039
Netherlands | .034| .034| .033
Canada | .049| .037| .042
All other countries| .034| | .089
+----------+----------+----------
Average | .038| .037| .039
-------------------+----------+----------+----------
-------------------+---------+---------+---------
Imported from— | 1935 | 1936 | 1937[1]
-------------------+---------+---------+---------
| Quantity (pounds)
+---------+---------+---------
Germany |7,869,120|6,095,040|5,297,600
Netherlands | | |
Canada | 320,320| |
All other countries| | |
+---------+---------+---------
Total |8,189,440|6,095,040|5,297,600
+---------+---------+---------
| Value
+---------+---------+---------
Germany | $366,371| $272,679| $266,166
Netherlands | | |
Canada | 13,056| |
All other countries| | |
+---------+---------+---------
Total | 379,427| 272,679| 266,166
+---------+---------+---------
| Unit value
+---------+---------+---------
Germany | $0.047| $0.045| $0.050
Netherlands | | |
Canada | .041| |
All other countries| | |
+---------+---------+---------
Average | .046| .045| .050
+---------+---------+---------
[1] Preliminary.
Source: Foreign Commerce and Navigation of the United States.
Imports of urea enter the United States free of duty under paragraph 1793
of the Tariff Act of 1930. In spite of that fact a substantial production
in the United States has been achieved. This is due, at least to a
considerable extent, to the production of crude urea in ammonia solution,
which is used in ammoniating superphosphates for fertilizer use. It is
shipped by tank car but would be difficult to transport by ship. The
volume market for this form of the product has aided in the production of
crystal urea for both resin and fertilizer use.
THIOUREA
Thiourea (thiocarbamide) is a white crystalline solid, melting at 180°
C. It is made commercially by treating a solution of calcium cyanamide
with sulphur and ammonium sulphide or with hydrogen sulphide and
ammonia. The principal uses of thiourea are in making intermediates and
pharmaceuticals, as a photographic developer, as an insecticide, and in
medicine. Because of the water resistance it imparts it was for some
time widely used in urea resins. During the past few years, however, its
use in resins has declined sharply owing to its deleterious action on
ordinary molds and its slow rate of cure. In molding compounds, thiourea
requires about 10 minutes curing time as compared with 3 minutes or
less for urea resins and tar-acid resins. Since ways have been found
to fabricate water-resistant urea resins without using thiourea, the
consumption of thiourea in this use has declined.
There is no known commercial domestic production of thiourea.
Imports through the New York Customs District, according to invoice
analyses made by the Tariff Commission, are shown in table 90. Thiourea
is dutiable at 25 percent under paragraph 5 of the act of 1930.
TABLE 90.—_Thiourea: United States imports through the New York Customs
District, 1931-37_
----+--------+-------+----------+------------------------
Year|Quantity| Value |Unit value| Source
|(pounds)| | |
----+--------+-------+----------+------------------------
1931| 81,560|$24,254| $0.297|Germany and Switzerland.
1932| 19,347| 4,760| .246|Germany.
1933| | | |
1934| 15,738| 5,982| .380| Do.
1935| 29,480| 10,500| .356| Do.
1936| 81,031| 19,782| .244| Do.
1937| ([1]) | | |
----+--------+-------+----------+------------------------
[1] Not available.
Source: Invoice analyses of paragraph 5, of Tariff Act of 1930.
Compiled by U. S. Tariff Commission.
19. RAW MATERIALS FOR VINYL RESINS
Vinyl resins are made chiefly from vinyl acetate and vinyl chloride.
Description and uses.
Vinyl acetate is an unsaturated ester of the hypothetical vinyl alcohol.
It is made from acetylene and acetic acid, and is a colorless liquid with
a pleasant sweetish odor, boiling at 73° C. On account of its tendency
to polymerize to polyvinyl acetate, a trace of copper salt is added for
shipment. To render the vinyl acetate chemically active again, the copper
salt is removed by distillation. At present the sole use of vinyl acetate
is for the manufacture of synthetic resins. (See pp. 43-50.)
Vinyl chloride, a salt of vinyl alcohol, is obtained commercially from
acetylene. It is a gas (boiling at about minus 14° C.) used in the
manufacture of synthetic resins. Vinyl chloride mixed with vinyl acetate
is polymerized to a synthetic resin.
United States production.
Until 1938 the one domestic maker of vinyl acetate produced only
experimental lots, the bulk of our requirements being imported from
Canada. In that year large units to manufacture vinyl acetate were built
at Niagara Falls, N. Y., and at Belle, W. Va. The remarkable properties
of safety glass made from vinyl resin sheets, together with several other
new and important applications of these resins, indicate a demand for
vinyl acetate sufficient to warrant these large manufacturing units. The
United States patents covering the processes of manufacture of vinyl
acetate are owned by the Canadian producer, who has licensed the domestic
makers.
Domestic production of vinyl chloride has increased from experimental
quantities in 1927 to large-scale commercial output, increasing
substantially each year since 1933.
United States imports.
There has been no import of vinyl chloride. Imports of vinyl acetate
(unpolymerized), entirely from Canada, are shown in table 91.
TABLE 91.—_Vinyl acetate, unpolymerized: United States imports for
consumption, 1931-37_
-------+--------+--------+------
Year |Quantity| Value | Unit
|(pounds)| | value
-------+--------+--------+------
1931 | 77,269| $11,489|$0.149
1932 | 104,129| 14,053| .135
1933 | 159,757| 21,134| .132
1934 | 217,182| 39,462| .182
1935 | 776,426| 149,876| 0.193
1936[1]| 449,905| 58,499| .130
1937[2]| 297,496| 39,074| .131
-------+--------+--------+------
[1] Duty reduced from 30 percent ad valorem and 6 cents per pound
to 15 percent ad valorem and 3 cents per pound under Canadian
trade agreement, effective Jan. 1, 1936.
[2] Preliminary.
Source: Foreign Commerce and Navigation of the United States.
Competitive conditions.
Domestic consumption of vinyl acetate and vinyl chloride has increased
in recent years from experimental to commercial quantities. Many years
of intensive research looking toward large outlets for the resins made
from these compounds has apparently been successful. The largest single
application indicated at this time is for safety glass sheets.
The large increase in domestic consumption expected in the immediate
future will probably be supplied chiefly from expanding domestic
production and imports from Canada will probably decline even under
the reduced trade-agreement duty except to fill possible temporary
shortages.
APPENDIXES
A. Statistical tables on foreign trade in raw materials for synthetic
resins.
B. Trade names for synthetic resins made in the United States.
C. Trade names for synthetic resins made in Great Britain.
D. Trade names for synthetic resins made in Germany.
E. List of United States manufacturers of raw materials for synthetic
resins.
F. Glossary.
APPENDIX A
STATISTICAL TABLES ON FOREIGN TRADE IN RAW MATERIALS FOR SYNTHETIC RESINS
TABLE 92.—_Naphthalene: German imports and exports, by countries, 1929
and 1932-37_
------------------------+----------+----------+----------------------
| 1929 | 1932 | 1933
------------------------+----------+----------+----------------------
IMPORTS | Quantity (pounds)
+----------+----------+----------------------
Total from all countries| 8,032,019| 952,167| 7,482,633
+----------+----------+----------------------
Czechoslovakia | 1,688,283| ([1]) | 2,839,304
Saar Basin | 1,531,977| ([1]) | 1,833,125
Netherlands | 1,457,020| ([1]) | 1,164,029
Poland | 2,524,487| ([1]) | 832,457
U. S. S. R | 284,834| 246,033| 361,334
+----------+----------+----------------------
| Value
+----------+----------+------------+---------
| | | _1,000 |
| _Dollars_| _Dollars_|reichsmarks_|_Dollars_
Total from all countries| 110,948| 12,112| 271| 82,704
+----------+----------+------------+---------
Czechoslovakia | 26,666| ([1]) | 114| 34,790
Saar Basin | 17,380| ([1]) | 56| 17,090
Netherlands | 14,999| ([1]) | 27| 8,240
Poland | 38,332| ([1]) | 31| 9,461
U. S. S. R | 4,762| 4,750| 22| 6,714
------------------------+----------+----------+------------+---------
|
------------------------+----------+----------+----------------------
EXPORTS | Quantity (pounds)
+----------+----------+----------------------
Total to all countries |39,738,576|29,720,213| 31,842,140
+----------+----------+----------------------
UNITED STATES |17,070,218|13,820,858| 21,824,879
Belgium-Luxemburg | 8,835,596| 7,399,960| 3,958,800
Japan | ([1]) | ([1]) | 801,152
Italy | 4,500,691| 2,068,797| 1,163,589
Netherlands | 734,573| 295,857| 275,134
+----------+----------+----------------------
| Value
+----------+----------+------------+---------
| | | _1,000 |
| _Dollars_| _Dollars_|reichsmarks_|_Dollars_
Total to all countries | 774,256| 288,790| 1,392| 424,809
+----------+----------+------------+---------
UNITED STATES | 329,273| 132,758| 921| 281,070
Belgium-Luxemburg | 98,330| 42,749| 95| 28,992
Japan | ([1]) | ([1]) | 50| 15,259
Italy | 78,330| 23,324| 50| 15,259
Netherlands | 19,761| 4,987| 21| 6,409
------------------------+----------+----------+------------+---------
------------------------+----------------------+----------------------
| 1934 | 1935
------------------------+----------------------+----------------------
IMPORTS | Quantity (pounds)
+----------------------+----------------------
Total from all countries| 8,640,930 | 4,245,839
+----------------------+----------------------
Czechoslovakia | 1,602,744 |
Saar Basin | 3,641,338 | 1,129,858
Netherlands | 26,014 | 18,078
Poland | 1,060,633 | 33,730
U. S. S. R | 1,024,037 | 531,088
+----------------------+----------------------
| Value
+------------+---------+------------+---------
| _1,000 | | _1,000 |
|reichsmarks_|_Dollars_|reichsmarks_|_Dollars_
Total from all countries| 273| 107,494| 165| 66,426
+------------+---------+------------+---------
Czechoslovakia | 51| 20,081| |
Saar Basin | 78| 30,712| 25| 10,064
Netherlands | 2| 788| 1| 403
Poland | 29| 11,419| 2| 805
U. S. S. R | 48| 18,900| 27| 10,870
------------------------+------------+---------+------------+---------
|
------------------------+----------------------+----------------------
EXPORTS | Quantity (pounds)
+----------------------+----------------------
Total to all countries | 35,043,660 | 22,169,458
+----------------------+----------------------
UNITED STATES | 21,631,535 | 12,052,769
Belgium-Luxemburg | 5,685,663 | 2,010,816
Japan | 3,434,767 | 1,880,965
Italy | 695,992 | 492,728
Netherlands | 427,913 | 413,142
+----------------------+----------------------
| Value
+------------+---------+------------+---------
| _1,000 | | _1,000 |
|reichsmarks_|_Dollars_|reichsmarks_|_Dollars_
Total to all countries | 1,504| 592,200 | 1,067| 429,553
+------------+---------+------------+---------
UNITED STATES | 879| 346,106| 468| 188,407
Belgium-Luxemburg | 130| 51,188| 50| 20,129
Japan | 203| 79,931| 131| 52,738
Italy | 30| 11,812| 23| 9,259
Netherlands | 29| 11,419| 19| 7,649
------------------------+------------+---------+------------+----------
------------------------+----------------------+-----------------------
| 1936 | 1937
------------------------+----------------------+-----------------------
IMPORTS | Quantity (pounds)
+----------------------+-----------------------
Total from all countries| 493,169 | 33,069
+----------------------+-----------------------
Czechoslovakia | ([1]) | ([1])
Saar Basin | |
Netherlands | 28,660 | ([1])
Poland | ([1]) | ([1])
U. S. S. R | ([1]) | ([1])
+----------------------+-----------------------
| Value
+------------+---------+------------+----------
| _1,000 | | _1,000 |
|reichsmarks_|_Dollars_|reichsmarks_|_Dollars_
Total from all countries| 22| 8,865| 1| 402
+------------+---------+------------+----------
Czechoslovakia | ([1]) | ([1]) | ([1]) | ([1])
Saar Basin | | | |
Netherlands | 3| 1,209| ([1]) | ([1])
Poland | ([1]) | ([1]) | ([1]) | ([1])
U. S. S. R | ([1]) | ([1]) | ([1]) | ([1])
------------------------+------------+---------+------------+----------
|
------------------------+----------------------+-----------------------
EXPORTS | Quantity (pounds)
+----------------------+-----------------------
Total to all countries | 8,152,390 | 24,966,434
+----------------------+-----------------------
UNITED STATES | 3,420,437 | 14,167,201
Belgium-Luxemburg | 457,675 | 1,184,311
Japan | 253,529 | 2,031,980
Italy | 134,481 | 615,083
Netherlands | 198,414 | 66,138
+----------------------+-----------------------
| Value
+------------+---------+------------+----------
| _1,000 | | _1,000 |
|reichsmarks_|_Dollars_|reichsmarks_|_Dollars_
Total to all countries | 703| 283,288| 1,949| 783,576
+------------+---------+------------+----------
UNITED STATES | 168| 67,699| 789| 317,210
Belgium-Luxemburg | 21| 8,462| 60| 24,122
Japan | 29| 11,686| 177| 71,161
Italy | 18| 7,253| 47| 18,896
Netherlands | 14| 5,642| 7| 2,814
------------------------+------------+---------+------------+----------
[1] Not separately shown.
Source: Der Auswärtige Handel Deutschlands, 1929. Monatliche
Nachweise über den auswärtigen Handel, Deutschlands, 1932-37.
TABLE 93.—_Crude naphthalene: Belgian imports and exports, 1932-37_
---------------+----------+-----------------+-----------------
| 1932 | 1933 | 1934
+----------+-----------------+-----------------
IMPORTS | Quantity (pounds)
+----------+-----------------+-----------------
Total from all | | |
countries |14,114,070| 10,935,698 | 15,328,363
+----------+-----------------+-----------------
Netherlands | 8,187,443| 7,583,163 | 9,363,598
Germany | 5,800,744| 3,122,816 | 5,290,599
+----------+-----------------+-----------------
| Value
+----------+-------+---------+-------+---------
| |_1,000 | |_1,000 |
| _Dollars_|francs_|_Dollars_|francs_|_Dollars_
Total from all | | | | |
countries | 74,299| 2,059| 73,711| 3,015| 140,419
+----------+-------+---------+-------+---------
Netherlands | 41,352| 1,327| 47,506| 1,881| 87,605
Germany | 31,611| 661| 23,663| 970| 45,176
+----------+-------+---------+-------+---------
EXPORTS | Quantity (pounds)
+----------+-----------------+-----------------
Total to all | | |
countries | 1,102,300| 5,955,727 | 3,395,745
+----------+-----------------+-----------------
UNITED STATES | | 3,991,428 | 2,499,355
France | 871,699| 1,262,354 | 352,075
+----------+-----------------+-----------------
| Value
+----------+-------+---------+-------+---------
| |_1,000 | |_1,000 |
| _Dollars_|francs_|_Dollars_|francs_|_Dollars_
Total to all | | | | |
countries | 10,964| 2,503| 89,605| 1,181| 55,003
+----------+-------+---------+-------+---------
UNITED STATES | | 1,562| 55,918| 707| 32,927
France | 8,404| 446| 15,966| 243| 11,317
---------------+----------+-------+---------+-------+---------
---------------+-----------------+-----------------+-----------------
| 1935 | 1936 | 1937
+-----------------+-----------------+-----------------
IMPORTS | Quantity (pounds)
+-----------------+-----------------+-----------------
Total from all | | |
countries | 12,114,718 | 17,102,405 | 9,178,411
+-----------------+-----------------+-----------------
Netherlands | 8,786,874 | 10,315,764 | 5,983,064
Germany | 1,297,628 | 178,573 | ([1])
+-----------------+-----------------+-----------------
| Value
+-------+---------+-------+---------+-------+---------
|_1,000 | |_1,000 | |_1,000 |
|francs_|_Dollars_|francs_|_Dollars_|francs_|_Dollars_
Total from all | | | | | |
countries | 3,299| 121,562| 7,017| 237,385| 4,277|144,357
+-------+---------+-------+---------+-------+---------
Netherlands | 2,139| 78,818| 3,916| 132,478| 2,808| 94,776
Germany | 341| 12,565| 77| 2,605| ([1]) | ([1])
+-------+---------+-------+---------+-------+---------
EXPORTS | Quantity (pounds)
+-----------------+-----------------+-----------------
Total to all | | |
countries | 6,796,782 | 11,538,215 | 6,700,220
+-----------------+-----------------+-----------------
UNITED STATES | 1,709,888 | 2,119,062 | 1,009,927
France | 2,930,134 | 5,163,835 | 4,382,745
+-----------------+-----------------+-----------------
| Value
+-------+---------+-------+---------+-------+---------
|_1,000 | |_1,000 | |_1,000 |
|francs_|_Dollars_|francs_|_Dollars_|francs_|_Dollars_
Total to all | | | | | |
countries | 3,059| 112,719| 7,020| 237,487| 3,918|132,240
+-------+---------+-------+---------+-------+---------
UNITED STATES | 543| 20,009| 1,461| 49,426| 492| 16,606
France | 1,460| 53,798| 3,227| 109,169| 2,769| 93,459
---------------+-------+---------+-------+---------+-------+---------
[1] Not separately reported.
Source: Bulletin Mensuel du Commerce.
TABLE 94.—_Refined naphthalene: Belgian imports and exports, 1932-37_
---------------+----------+-----------------+-----------------
| 1932 | 1933 | 1934
+----------+-----------------+-----------------
IMPORTS | Quantity (pounds)
+----------+-----------------+-----------------
Total from all | | |
countries | 7,055| 1,323 | 7,275
+----------+-------+---------+-------+---------
| Value
+----------+-------+---------+-------+---------
| |_1,000 | |_1,000 |
| _Dollars_|francs_|_Dollars_|francs_|_Dollars_
Total from all | | | | |
countries | 150| 8| 286| 15| 699
+----------+-------+---------+-------+---------
EXPORTS | Quantity (pounds)
+----------+-----------------+-----------------
Total to all | | |
countries |15,362,314| 15,298,822 | 14,792,425
+----------+-----------------+-----------------
Japan | 6,566,401| 4,582,922 | 2,867,523
United Kingdom | 695,772| 1,297,407 | 2,168,004
Argentina | 1,078,490| 1,130,519 | 988,102
British India | 792,995| 996,920 | 1,153,226
Canada | 841,496| 942,026 | 421,740
Netherlands | 449,518| 472,225 | 510,365
+----------+-----------------+-----------------
| Value
+----------+-------+---------+-------+---------
| |_1,000 | |_1,000 |
| _Dollars_|francs_|_Dollars_|francs_|_Dollars_
Total to all | | | | |
countries | 326,026| 11,310| 404,889| 10,032| 467,224
+----------+-------+---------+-------+---------
Japan | 130,650| 3,498| 125,226| 1,966| 91,563
United Kingdom | 14,053| 893| 31,969| 1,524| 70,978
Argentina | 24,154| 811| 29,033| 719| 33,486
British India | 18,867| 752| 26,921| 764| 35,582
Canada | 17,670| 696| 24,916| 301| 14,019
Netherlands | 9,934| 375| 13,425| 306| 14,251
+----------+-------+---------+-------+---------
---------------+-----------------+-----------------+-----------------
| 1935 | 1936 | 1937
+-----------------+-----------------+-----------------
IMPORTS | Quantity (pounds)
+-----------------+-----------------+-----------------
Total from all | | |
countries | 112,214 | 2,866 | 19,180
+-------+---------+-------+---------+-------+---------
| Value
+-------+---------+-------+---------+-------+---------
|_1,000 | |_1,000 | |_1,000 |
|francs_|_Dollars_|francs_|_Dollars_|francs_|_Dollars_
Total from all | | | | | |
countries | 78| 2,874| 8| 271| 42| 1,418
+-------+---------+-------+---------+-------+---------
EXPORTS | Quantity (pounds)
+-----------------+-----------------+-----------------
Total to all | | |
countries | 16,148,695 | 11,419,167 | 14,071,300
+-----------------+-----------------+-----------------
Japan | 4,202,849 | 3,447,113 | 2,514,126
United Kingdom | 315,919 | 455,029 | 1,316,808
Argentina | 1,376,773 | 970,685 | 1,173,729
British India | 705,252 | 243,477 | 715,172
Canada | 90,168 | ([1]) | ([1])
Netherlands | 971,788 | 477,516 | 571,432
+-----------------+-----------------+-----------------
| Value
+-------+---------+-------+---------+-------+---------
|_1,000 | |_1,000 | |_1,000 |
|francs_|_Dollars_|francs_|_Dollars_|francs_|_Dollars_
Total to all | | | | | |
countries | 11,219| 413,400| 9,391| 317,698| 11,602| 391,591
+-------+---------+-------+---------+-------+---------
Japan | 2,949| 108,665| 2,454| 83,019| 1,643| 55,455
United Kingdom | 212| 7,812| 445| 15,054| 896| 30,242
Argentina | 976| 35,964| 615| 20,805| 991| 33,448
British India | 498| 18,350| 321| 10,859| 640| 21,601
Canada | 66| 2,432| ([1])| ([1])| ([1])| ([1])
Netherlands | 695| 25,609| 568| 19,215| 697| 23,525
+-------+---------+-------+---------+-------+---------
[1] Not separately reported.
Source: Bulletin Mensuel du Commerce.
TABLE 95.—_Crude and refined naphthalene: Netherland imports and exports
by countries, 1929 and 1932-37_