units
have tended to decrease while that of rolled and hammered plates has
increased. (Table 2). The principal sources of supply of the ingots
and cast units, are Africa and Chile while those for rolled and
hammered plates are the United States, Germany and Great Britain.
Contrasting
the trend of copper semi-manufactures is that of the manufactures
which in 1940 fell to a new low after having settled within the limits
of two and a half to three thousand tons annually. This is based
largely on the decline in imports of electric cable and wire which
formerly accounted from 50% to 60% of the total of this
classification. The large industry of the state of São Paulo engaged in
the manufacture of this type of product bases its production on imports
of the crude copper and the use of domestic ores and] scrap. It may be
noted that in 1940 for the first time there was an export of; this
product from Brazil, the amount being 20,165 kilograms. The FOB Brazil
price was 6,428 milreis per metric ton. The vague terminology used in
thes export classification does not permit a direct comparison with
imports, the closest possible products being bare wire which was priced
at 7,875 milreis (CIF Brazil) and copper cable which had a unit price
of 6,516 milreis.
Other
manufactures of copper which are exported now are ornaments and other
non-specified items which together totalled 171 contos for 1,969 kilo-
grams. Thus the total copper manufactures exports aggregated 339 contos
in 1940. The Plate Countries provided the best outlets for this
product, the prin-cipal country being Argentina which purchased 18,656
kilograms and the second, Uruguay which bought 3,868 kilograms.
The
consumption of copper sulfate in Brazil is approximately 2,400 metric
tons per year. The extent to which the production of the mine in Seival
which supplies the raw material necessary for the manufacture of the
sulfate is increased will determine the decrease in the imports of this
product; 1,708 metric tons were imported in 1938 which in 1939
fell to 502 metric tons and rose to 1,567 tons in 1940. The principal
sources were formerly Belgium and Germany while in 1940, they were
England and the United States. A secondary source for this product in
Brazil in copper scrap.
12. GOLD
Gold
is intimately connected with the history of Brazil and at one time!
played such an important part in the economy of the country that it had
earned for itself a place in the economic cycles of Brazil which
include those of sugar, pau-Brazil, rubber, coffee, etc.
Although
there are considerable primary deposits within the country, the early
exploitation of this precious metal was confined to the alluvials and j
continued at high levels while the occurrences permitted. However, with
their j depletion, production fell and Brazil which had attained the
position of the lead- \ ing producer in the world declined to a position which today is insignificant. J
Today,
the production of alluvial gold ranges from 1,300 to 1,500 kilo-1 grams
according to official statistics which are in reality the gold
purchases I
