new player - why lumber mill cant export and clercks questions

[geogus]

Hi guys

Im a experienced paradox games and now im giving Vic 2 a try, never had payed before.
I already got the way the game goes.

I got a couple of questions, about my factories

1) lumber mill question

My first run Im playing as Brazil, it is 1875, im sphered by UK and I have 6 factories going on (including 2 level 2 factories) plus one more being built and 2 factories projects im waiting capitalists fund

All my factories are lucrative but a lumber mill just opened.
It happens the lumber mill cant sell nothing to outside market, it sells only to internal market.

In the trade widown I see that lumber is in high demand and that demand is higher than suply, altough by a very small margin (demand 2732 and suply 2731)

I dont understand why my lumber mill does not export, world demand is higher than suplly.

UK, that has sphered me, is the world leader lumber producer, dont know if that metters.

2) Clercks questions

Nome of my factories has clercks hired, my literacy is under 50% (but getting close)

When i start making clercks pops, how can I fire craftmen to open space for clercks to be hired to hit the 20% optimal clerck workforce?

 

[Aardvark Bellay]

My first run Im playing as Brazil, it is 1875, im sphered by UK
...
I dont understand why my lumber mill does not export, world demand is higher than suplly.
..
UK, that has sphered me, is the world leader lumber producer, dont know if that metters.

If you are a spherling it means it's a closed market for you. You only have that sphere to buy and sell.
No world market out side that sphere for you. Not fully sure about buying, but selling is limited to that sphere.
The upside is that you have a buy priority and thus access to goods of the whole sphere, in
comparison to non-members of the sphere.

So you have no chance to sell lumber, as you sphere master is already lumber producing and likely covering the need for lumber inside the sphere.
As Brazil i recommend to not build industry for a while.
Your factories usually need cement and machine parts as maintenance and these are rare in the beginning and factories efficiency won't be better
or not much better than artisans.Your artisans are your best bet for the first twenty years in my impression.
The one thing you might have an advantage on is to produce luxury chairs.
Apart from that liquor and wine always go. Be sure to have several hundred craftsmen when a factory opens.

2) Clercks questions

Nome of my factories has clercks hired, my literacy is under 50% (but getting close)

When i start making clercks pops, how can I fire craftmen to open space for clercks to be hired to hit the 20% optimal clerck workforce?

You don't fire anyone, factories do. The factories also hire clerks themselves.
For the most part if will usually be craftsmen turning to clerks.
Apart from that they will usually get clerks additonaly.
It would make no sense to hire people that increase the number of products produced and are more expensive to emply when the factory is not
profitable enought to instead of firing anyone hiring more.