CANADIAN by S. J. Cook
Chemical Production Up 6.4% Confirming the forecast made in this column March 15, official figures for Canada's chemical output in 1953 are now given as $848 million, a gain of 6.4% over the $796 million recorded in 1952. Higher output values were re ported for 1953 in all but one of the industries in this group. Percentage changes were as follows: Coal tar distillation Heavy chemicals Compressed gases Fertilizers Medicinals Paints Soaps Toilet preparations Inks Vegetable oils Adhesives Polishes Primary plastics Miscellaneous
+-9.2 -j-9.9 -j-O.6 +-β.7 -{-5.4 4-5.8 -f- 5.5 +1-3.0 +16.9 -11.9 +-9.8 +-8.0 +ZT.9 +-4.7
Concentration of the chemical in dustry in the central provinces o:£ On tario and Quebec is reflected i n t h e number of establishments reporting
CHEMISTRY
and the numbers employed as well as in output values. Of the 1096 plants in the chemicals and allied products group, 902 were in Ontario a n d Quebec. Employment, with a total of 49,708, included 44,/ 25 in t h e central area. Production from these two provinces was valued a t $746,171,000 out of a total for C a n a d a of $847,850,000. Growth in Alberta is beginning to b e reflected in t h e statistics. While the n u m b e r of establishments reporting in 1954 was only one higher at 25, t h e number of employees rose from 650 to 1003 and the plant output from $11 to S14 million. Canada's foreign trade in chemicals showed gains in both imports and ex ports. O n the import side, the prin cipal increases w e r e in the value of inorganic chemicals, u p $6 million; paints and pigments, u p $3.98 million; fertilizers, u p $1.52 million; dyeing a n d tanning materials, u p $1.14 million; and acids, u p $1 million. Reductions in importations w e r e noted in cellulose products- and ex plosives. Despite an over-all gain in exports
ADIABATIC CALORIMETER
PARR STRUMET COMPAY 3142
CHEMICAL
at $137 million as compared with $124 million in t h e preceding year, there were no outstanding changes in the component groups. On the d o w n side w e r e acids, alcohols, paints and pig ments, toilet preparations, and inor ganic chemicals. Higher export figures w e r e reported for cellulose products, drugs and pharmaceuticals, fertilizers, soaps, and inorganic chemicals. Imports of chemicals from the United States at $191.8 million were higher ($166.2 million in 1952) and consti t u t e d 8 6 . 5 % of t h e total. Exports to t h e U. S. of chemicals at $84.6 million w e r e also higher ($75.1 million in 1952) and m a d e u p 6 1 . 4 % of the total as against 6 0 . 3 % in the preceding year. Both for imports and exports, these figures are record totals for chemical trade with t h e United States. Trends Synthetics now control 66% of the total package business in Canada, versus a zero figure until late 1946, a n d the trend is up towards 8 0 % , says W . E . Williams, president of Procter and G a m b l e of C a n a d a . H e points out t h a t soaps still do an excellent job in soft w a t e r and under the washing conditions in coastal areas such as the Maritimes a n d British Columbia. Of interest to t h e detergent manufacturer is the increased emphasis on optical whiteners. Increasing E u r o p e a n inter est in t h e C a n a d i a n market is expected to promote healthy competition for the Canadian chemical industry. World Supply Affects Chemical Producers. W . N. Hall, vp of Domin ion T a r a n d Chemical, states that "new plants and expanded productive capacities have had the effect of bring ing supply levels of most chemicals up to and beyond current demand, with the result t h a t the Canadian manufac turer is subject to the pressure of a world-wide excess of supply." In many cases, he says, the domestic producer lacks a d e q u a t e protection in his own markets a n d is greatly restricted by tariffs, quotas, and currency difficulties in foreign markets. Oil Reserves Increased. J. R. White, president of Imperial Oil, Ltd., states that some of the new oil fields dis covered in 1953 "will b e of the order of 100 million barrels or more. , , Over the year, Canada's known oil reserves were increased b y more than 2 billion bar rels. Canadian crude displaced more than $200 million worth of imported c r u d e oil a n d is now providing 4 4 % of the nation's needs. This displacement of imported crude, he says, has saved C a n a d a about $700 million in U. S. currency since discovery of the Leduc deposits. AND
ENGINEERING
NEWS
