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REVIEW
THE
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VOL. LXXXIV. No. 6 Polished Every SaUrday. Edward Lyman Bill, Inc., 383 Madison Ave., New York, N.Y., Feb. 5, 1927
^St&
J~r ent "
American Pianos
in the International Market
Edward B. Lawson, of the Specialties Division, Bureau
Foreign and Domestic Commerce, Shows More Than Seventy
Countries Buy American Instruments at the Present Time
T
HE position of the American-made piano
is rapidly becoming firmly established in
many of the more important world mar-
kets. The evolution of the foreign trade of the
United States in pianos has been surprising in
the face of the many obstacles existing fifteen
or twenty years ago. The domestic piano in-
dustry was carried on by a few manufacturers
for some years, the total production being dis-
posed of in the United States. The output,
however, represented but a small proportion of
the pianos sold in the domestic market, as
many pianos were of foreign origin. At present
very few foreign-made pianos are sold in this
country. In spite of the strong intrenchment
of German, French and English made pianos,
the American industry has developed rapidly,
the investment in that industry now amounting
to over $100,000,000, and American pianos are
being exported to almost every country in the
world.
Foreign Markets Attract Attention
Increasing numbers of American pianos are
entering foreign markets and American manu-
facturers have shown considerable interest in
the development of foreign outlets for their
products. Many new and profitable markets
were opened to American pianos during the
war, and while strong efforts were being made
by competing foreign manufacturers to recover
their former world markets, a goodly portion
of the trade secured has been retained by
American producers.
Domestic Production Decreases
The value of musical instruments produced
during the census year 1925, according to data
collected at the biennial census of manufac-
turers, amounted to $124,849,611, a decrease of
2.5 per cent as compared with $128,083,913 for
1923. The value of pianos produced during the
same period decreased about 9 per cent. In
direct contrast, the exports of pianos during
1925 increased in value approximately 9 per
cent, and in number about 8.5 per cent, when
compared with exports for 1923. The peak
year for all time in the exportation of pianos
was 1920, during which year more than $5,000,-
000 worth of pianos were shipped out of this
country. The foreign trade in pianos experi-
(.need a pronounced slump in 1921. The annual
export statistics for the past few years record
a steady recovery and an upward trend which
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JJ*XPORTS
of
American-made
pianos
M-d and player pianos showed an increase
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inoo
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of I a 8.5 r per cent in 1925 over 1923, continu-
'
to October, 1926, there were 18,818 pianos val-
ued at $5,164,182 exported, whereas 17,218 valued
at $4,769,214 were exported in the same time
in 1925.
American Instruments Widely Sold
One of lhe striking features of the develop-
ment of our foreign trade in pianos is its
extensive distribution. American-made pianos
are exported to more than seventy-five foreign
countries located in all parts of the world. The
American manufacturer is selling his product
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in various world markets, competing with for-
ing the recovery shown by the export fig- c i g n manu f ac t U rers, whose products usually sell
ures since 1921, when this trade showed a at lower prices, overcoming transportation
pronounced falling off. The American in- difficulties, tariff restrictions and inherited
strument is becoming firmly established in preferences for pianos long established in the
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the world markets and is playing
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a steadily
increasing part of importance in this trade.
An analysis of conditions and the changes
in demand.
market.
This progressive trend signifies the
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increasing popularity of American pianos and
indicates
a
great , r
development in the
futlIre
i ra de.
Changes in Markets
Coincident with the great increase in foreign
^^^^^^^^^^"•^•^^^•"•^^^•^^^^^••^^^^^"
might be referred to as a second phase of
foreign trade development.
Foreign Sales Increase
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On the whole, the foreign trade in pianos
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has developed remarkably during the past
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twelve years. In 1914 only 7,/20 pianos were
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exported by American
manufacturers, repre-
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senting about 2 per cent of a total production
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of 326,274 pianos in this country. In 1925 the
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number exported totaled 20,r>87, or more than
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6 per cent of the 321,639 produced. This in-
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crease is particularly significant in view of the
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reduction in the total number of pianos manu-
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factured in the United States. The total value
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of all kinds of pianos exported during I92. s
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shows an increase of over $1,000,000 as com-
pared with the exports during 1924—an increase
of
a p p r o x i m a t e l y 20 p e r c e n t .
T h e increased
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v a l u e Ot e x p o r t s d u r i n g t h e first t e n m o n t h s
of 1Q?fi QC n n m n a r p H w i t h tViP c a m p n p r i n r i r>(
Ot ly^O as c o m p a r e d With t h e s a m e period Ot
1925 indicates t h a t t h e t o t a l value of e x p o r t s
for t h e c a l e n d a r y e a r 1926 will exceed t h a t of
the preceding year.
During the period January
purchases of American pianos, a change took
place in the relative position of the several
world areas as markets. In 1913 most of the
exported pianos were sold in North America—
almost one-half, by value.
North American
markets increased their purchases from year to
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vear, but in 1925 Oceania took first place, re-
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ceiving $^,534,9y8 worth of American pianos as
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compared with a total value of $1,780,837
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received by XT
.North A American markets.
I he
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pronounced increase in the value of shipments
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to Oceania may be explained by the rapid de-
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velopment of Australia as a piano market and
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the popularity of the player-piano in that coun-
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try. Oceania and AT
.North A America together
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account for more than 75 per cent, by value,
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of all pianos shipped out of the United States,
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I alue of United Stales exports of pianos by world
Area
101;?
'
]92 ,
]Q2 4
1925
Europe
$ 496,863 $ 372,'l77 $ 354,338 $ 438,983
North America . . . . 931,070 1,573,208 1,362,418 1,780,837
South America . . . . 366,739
559,507
617,116
818,884
Asia
18,062
67,012
63.566
60,288
Oceania
131,248 2,556,364 2,263,107 2,534,998
Africa
7,983
36,930
42,735
83,869
Total
$1,951,965 $5,165,198 $4,703,280 $5,717,859
(Continued on page 4)