Exhibitors Herald World (Oct-Dec 1929)

December 2\, 1929 EXHIBITORS HERALD-WORLD 63 THE EXPORT MARKET LATIN AMERICA AND CANADA AS MARKETS FOR MOTION PICTURE EQUIPMENT MEXICO, the countries of Central and Sound America, the islands of the West Indies, and Canada are rapidly developing into important markets for motion picture equipment manufactured in the United States. While projectors of French and German make are probably predominant now in the Latin-American countries, exhibitors are gradually replacing them with American-made machines. Projectors and other equipment from the United States are being given preference because exhibitors are recognizing the superior quality and durability of the American products. These projectors cost considerably more than the cheap machines now in use in many motion picture houses, but theatre owners in the larger cities are finding the American equipment the more profitable and satisfactory investment. American manufacturers also have a decided advantage over their European competitors in that spare parts and accessories may be obtained much more quickly from the United States than from the Old World countries. With sound and turfj^rig pictures being introduced in i^atfn America, a larger field should be open to our manufacturers, since new equipment is invariably installed in a theatre that has been wired for sound pictures. While most theatres in Latin America are antiquated and cheaply equipped, theatre building is proceeding rapidly, and theatres comparable to the best in the United States are being constructed in many large commercial cities. These new theatres are installing the latest ventilating and heating equipment, good theatre seats, and up-to-date projection equipment. Canadian theatres are almost universally equipped with American apparatus. Projectors in some of the theatres are old, however, and need to be replaced. Generator sets should also find an increased market in the Dominion. Visual education is being developed by Canadian government agencies and American manufacturers of portable projectors should continue to find a good market there. An excellent method of helping the sales of American motion picture equipment abroad would be for American manufacturers of equipment lines to send a representative to survey the field, with a possible view of establishing agencies with those properly qualified to represent them. This, of course, assumes the willingness on the part of the manufacturer to undertake this fairly expensive procedure with the knowledge that the returns may warrant the outlay. The foreign agent prefers to enter negotiations with an authorized representative of a company by personal contact, instead of carrying on his business by mail and making purchases from catalogues. He likes to examine the article he intends to place before the theatre owner, since he alone knows best what his purchaser requires. Rates of duty levied on motion picture equipment by the countries covered in this study have been purposely omitted, since any such compilation soon becomes incorrect for commercial use by reason of constantly shifting rates. Certain of the British areas covered herein grant lower rates of duty on equipment to members of the Empire than to other nations. Of these, Bermuda and the Bahamas grant a 25 per cent preference, British Guiana and Barbados a 50 per cent preference, Trinidad a preference believed to be 50 per cent. In Canada at the present time American motion picture projectors pay a duty of 25 per cent ad valorem, British projectors pay Ylx/2 per cent ad valorem, and French, Italian, and Swiss projectors pay 221/2 per cent ad valorem. In Guadeloupe and Martinique projectors are free of duty when imported from France, but the duty is 12 per cent ad valorem for projectors from any other country. The United States tariff act applies to imports into Porto Rico. Hence, American projectors are not dutiable on entry into that country, but all others are subject to duty at the rate of 45 per cent ad valorem. The division of foreign tariffs of the bureau of foreign and domestic commerce is prepared to supply upon specific application interested exporters of American motion picture equipment with the current rates of import duty applicable to their goods. MEXICO MEXICO CITY From report by Assistant Trade Commissioner Walter E. Aylor Standard projectors. — Four American makes of motion picture projectors rep resent approximately 90 per cent of the projectors in use in Mexico City at the present time. The selling prices of these machines range from $475 to $1,250. All of the theatres in Mexico City and vicinity are equipped with two projectors; in other localities the rule is one projector, except in the better theatres in the few large cities. While most of the projectors in use are very old, the American machines are generally considered to be giving much better service than other makes. Generators. — At present there seems to be very little market for generator sets in Mexico City. Arc lamps. — There is only one highintensity arc lamp in Mexico City ; there are perhaps a dozen theatres equipped with mirror-reflector arc lamps. Screens. — Ordinary cheaply constructed unpainted screens are in general use. A few theatres have screens painted with aluminum finish; very few have specially constructed screens imported from the United States. Dealers. — There are only three dealers in the city, all now having agencies for projectors, who might be interested in handling American equipment. These are: Cia. Abastecedora Cinematografica S. A., Capuchinas No. 14; Ehlers Film Corp., 3a Nuevo Mexico No. 38; Alva y Breton, Nuevo Mexico No. 37. Visual education. — The department of education of the Federal Government has under its supervision all matters pertaining to education. It has been interested in visual education through motion pictures and has begun a program which is gradually being carried out for extending visual education, not only through the schools but also to the uneducated Indians. AGUA PRIETA, SONORA From report by Vice Consul John E. Jones Standard projectors. — There are but five motion picture theatres in the Agua Prieta district, all small and unimportant. The largest theatre in the district is equipped with two American projectors of comparatively recent model. The other four theatres have but one projector each, three of these being American models also. The local theatre owners prefer the American machines because of their simple manner of operation and the improvements which other makes do not have. Generators and arc lamps. — There ap A survey by trade representatives of the U. S. Department of Commerce, as prepared for publication By NATHAN D. GOLDEN