The medical use of coca products booms after news of their local anesthetic powers spreads in late-1884. U.S. consuls, political leaders, and members of the pharmaceutical industry send trade "missions" to Peru, meeting tribal people and searching for "new" coca strains. New shipping lanes and processes speed up the flow of commerce between Peru and the United States. The U.S. competes with Britain and Germany to develop the most productive coca-based industries.