Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1871.djvu/670

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CHINA.

Trade and Commerce. The value of the total commerce of China at the ports open to foreigners, in each of the five years 1864 to 1868, was as follows, according to the official returns of the imperial maritime customs: —

Years

Imp Taels

orts

Exports

&

Taels

&

1864

51,293,578

17,097.859

54,006,509

18,002,169

186.5

61,844,158

20,614,719

60,054,634

20,018,211

1866

74,563,674

24,854,558

56,161,807

18,720,602

1867

69,329,741

23,109,914

57,895,713

19,298,571

1868

71,121,213

23,707,071

69,114,733

23,038,244

The following table shows the distribution of the commerce of China among the various countries, or groups of countries, maintaining trading intercourse with the empire, in the year 1868.

Value of

Value of

Total

Countries

Imports from

Exports to

Commerce

Taels

Taels

Taels

Great Britain ....

24,478,843

42,040,836

66,519,679

Hong Kong. India.

15,672,685

8,970,289

24,642,974

26,098,085

264,530

26,362,615

United States.

833,393

6,582,676

7,416,069

Japan.

Australia

2,614,007

937,482

3,551,489

734,718

2,849,636

3,584,354

Singapore and Straits

743,879

293,692

1,037,571

Continental Europe.

325,450

4,586,406

4,911,856

691,251

77,673

768,924

Philippine Islands.

315,458

183,404

498,862

Java

264,887

228,028

492,915

Cochin China.

383,710

46,274

429,984

British Channel Islands

—

634,080

634,080

Amoor Provinces.

93,913

7,834

101,747

South America

68,318

231,630

299,948

Canada.

37

237,002

237,039

New Zealand.

—

102,899

102,899

Russia.

—

796,240

796,240

Cape of Good Hope

—

44,122

44,122

Gross total.

73,318,634

69,114,733

142,433,367

Re-exports to foreign countries

2,197,421

—

2,197,421

Net total

•

71,121,213

69,114,733

140,235,946

It will be seen that the commercial intercourse of China is mainly with the United Kingdom and the British colonies. To the aggregate imports and exports of China in the year 1868, Great &Titain contributed 66,519,679 taels, or 47 per cent.; the colony of Hong Kong 24,642,974 taels, and India 26,362,615 taels, being