have gone up slui rpb ' in recent years, as follows:
MARK
1939 1945 1953 1954 1955
Exports Vital to Pesticides Slower r a t e seen for facility e x p a n s i o n in w o r l d survrey; t r e n d continues t o w a r d special products JL ESTICIOE
C l l O W r H XJNT XHE
UNITED
STAXES in the last d e c a d e has been tre mendous in qmanlity of output as well as variety of products. Manufacture of all basic pesticide· toxicants rose in value from $160 million in 1953 t o $175 million in 195-4, a n d probably will top $190 million far 1955. Capacity for production of pesticides in this country, percentagewise, may not expand during t h e next 10 years as it has in the last d e c a d e . However, it will still be necessary to seek export markets for these p r o d u c t s . -These are t h e conclusions of a world survey of the p>esticides industry in t h e United States a n d 6 6 foreign countries, one of t h e most extensive ever m a d e , just issued by t h e D e p a r t m e n t of Com merce. The 5213-page report, Wodd Survey of ?esr£ Control Products, was prepared by L-auiu G. Arrington of the Business and Defense Services Admin istration, under the direction of C. C Concannon. • Excess of Capacity. Present fa cilities for soone p r o d u c t s are greater than needed t o meet combined domes tic consumption a n d export d e m a n d , among them JDDT, benzene hexachloride, calcium .and l e a d arsenates, cop per sulfate, aixd some of t h e specialized commodities ^produced b y only one or two firms. However, n e w materials are constantly being discovered a n d the 3032
C&ENJUNE
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trend is definitely toward specialized products for specific purposes. Future expansions undoubtedly will b e along this line. Among recent new developments are defoliants for cotton, potatoes, and soy beans; selective weed killers, espe cially for small grains; and pre-emergence weed killers. The herbicides increase output p e r acre a n d to an ex tent alleviate labor shortages on the farm. The survey finds that a rapidly grow ing market for pesticides lies in protec tion of stored grain, a project in which various government agencies are taking part. T h e r e are also a number of n e w materials for the control of livestock pests. These a d d t o the weights of cattle and bogs and increase milk pro duction. • Equipment Plentiful. T h e most efficient equipment for the application of pesticides is used in the United States, and supplies of all types are plentiful. Aerial control is now used on more than 200 crops, and it is esti mated that one out of every 12 acres under cultivation gets aerial treatment. In our pesticides foreign trade, im ports are negligible except for the raw materials, arsenic, pyrethrun flowers and extract, and rotenone-bearing roots. On the other hand pesticide exports
$ 4,975,000 18,505,000 49,060,000 62,740,000 79,139,000
N o r t h and CJentral America includ ing C a n a d a comprised the largest area in 1955 for United States pesticide ex ports in point of volume as well as dol lars, with South America next (Table I). Actual g r a n d volume total for 1955, which will not check with ahove owing to r o u n d i n g of totals, was 328,131,000 pounds, compared with 281,860,000 pounds in 1954, and 253,697,000 pounds in 1 9 5 3 . • Canadian M a r k e t . Canada's im ports of pesticides, amounting to over $10.5 million i n 1954, are dominated by purchases from the United States. In weed killing preparations alone, this country supplied $2,535,576 of the $2,627,100 imported, the remainder be ing brought in from Germany and the United Kingdom. T h e United States was also t h e foremost supplier of nico tine and salts, small-package sprays, disinfectants, dips, and sprays. It fur nished all of t h e Canadian imports of Paris green, lead and calcium arsenate, but ran a poor second to the United Kingdom i n copper sulfate. Survey states that United States pest control products are competitive in price and quality with those of Cana dian and overseas manufacture. Lowpriced United States products in fact have forced clown Canadian prices, es pecially for D D T and 2,4-D.
Table L United States Exports of Pesticide Materials--1955 ( Thousands) Pounds North America 188,807 South America 54,099 C a r i b b e a n area 10,011 Europe 14,374 Asia and Oceania 33,469 21,855 Africa Shipments of $100 to $499 4,527
Value $34,464 15,805 2,556 6,463 14,075 4,465 1,311
• Mexico α Large Outlet. Mexico has become otir foremost export market for pesticides in recent years and in 1955 our shipments of these materials to Mexico a m o u n t e d to 62,130,000 pounds, valued at $11,145,000. Our L a Lin American neighbor h a s devel oped a sizable formulating industry, a n d faced with the necessity of expand ing food and cotton production, Mexico is expected to double her pesticides
consumption in ttie next six to eight years. Capacity for production of pesticides in this country, percentagewise, may not expand during the next 10 years as it has in the last decade. However, it will still b e necessary t o seek export markets for these products. • G e r m a n Expansion. E u r o p e still offers a sizable market for United States pesticides despite expanded production there of D D T , B H C , lindane, and phosphatic insecticides. West Germany, one of the world's leading pesticide pro ducers, has some 2 0 0 firms engaged i n their production, and i t is estimated that some 3 0 % of West Germany's out p u t of these products is exported. France also is self-sufficient in pesti cides,- with about 100 plants engaged in their production.. Italy has some 6 0 companies making several types of pes ticides, and the value of production i n 1954 is placed a t $44 million. It i s said t h a t the industry there can sup ply 9 5 % of domestic consumption. T h e industry is reported to b e well developed in Japan although lack of basic research finds t h e country d e pendent on outside sources for t h e newly developed materials. Produc tion of agricultural pesticides in 1954 is placed at 90,390 metric tons, a n d for public health a n d household use a t 19,261 metric tons. Additional quanti ties were imported from E u r o p e a n d the United States. • Italian Industry. T h e r e are some 60 firms making several types of pesti cides in Italy apart from those engaged in formulating and packaging. Leading products in point of volume are copper sulfate, sulfur, calcium, and barium and polysulfides, D D T , BHC, copper oxychloride, and arsenates. Consumption in 1953 was 149,010 metric tons, val ued a t 44.5 million. Imports amounted to 4,412,727 pounds in 1954 a n d these had a U. S. dollar value of $&42,405. In addition, Italy imported copper sulfate a n d p y rethrum to t h e extent of 12.8 million pounds. Pesticide imports are supplied by the United States and Europe, and the latter is reported offering BHC, grain fumigants, lindane, 2,4-D, parathion, sodium chlorate, and warfarin at lower prices. Recent information on the pesticides business in the United Kingdom is n o t available. The 1950 census listed 2 2 4 establishments having gross production of $94.3 million. Pesticide exports in creased annually from 1949 to 1952, b u t dropped in 1953. T h e industry is said t o be well developed and extremely competitive in marketing almost a com plete range of products.
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1956
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