Page:Twentieth Century Impressions of Hongkong, Shanghai, and other Treaty Ports of China.djvu/287

 Chief among countries other than European may be mentioned :—

Taels. Taels. Taels. Macao .745.616 ,394,983 .935.S7S French Indo-China ,978,264 .554.719 ,916,895 Singapore, Straits, &c.... ,864,569 ,398,562 .407.153 Dutch Indies ,036,850 .919.293 ,646,776 British India .51s.977 ,068,752 ,093.542 Japan and Formosa ... ,780,211 .357.287 ,808,886 Korea ,939,628 ,811,037 ,663,764 Canada ,794.049 ,192,127 ,831,840 United States of America (including Hawaii) ,947,610 ,107,637 ,501,136 The share of the total direct foreign trade enjoyed by the principal ports in China during 1906-7 was as undermentioned : — igo6. . Port. Imports. Exports. Total. Imports. Exports. Total, Taels. Tads. Taels. Tads. Taels. TacU. Shanghai ... ,043,251 18,990,510 ,033,761 .765,079 .963.587 ,728,666 Canton ,966,599 ,340,675 .307.274 ,645.236 ,061,088 ,706,324 Kowloon ... .380,564 ,394.072 .774.636 ,820,314 ,192,146 ,102,460 Tientsin ,102,558 .143.764 .246.322 ,919,614 ,304,192 ,223,806 Hankow ,632,854 ,524,107 ,156,961 ,404,900 ,278,314 .683.214 Swatow ,931,030 ,315.372 ,246,402 ,9.39.571 ,901,165 ,840,736 Lappa ,465,301 ,918,642 .383.943 ,541,216 .567.569 ,108,785 Amov ,525,687 ,105,258 ,630,945 ,946,367 ,194,267 .140,634 Foochow ... ,331.357 .241.894 .573.251 ,752,854 ,643,099 .395.953 Newchwang ,009,058 ,256,366 ,265,424 ,440,915 ,685,580 ,126,495 Dairen — — — ,143,892 ,205,677 ,349,569 Chefoo ,906,839 ,806,654 ,713.493 ,620,215 ,299,002 ,919,217 Mengtsz .680,859 ,144,005 ,824,864 S.973.115 ,563.329 ,536,444 Kiaochau ... ,019,263 .540.123 ,559,386 .297.944 ,226 ,185,170

IMPORTS.

The net values in round figures of the chief items of import at intervals of ten years each from 1864—the first year in which Reports on Trade were issued by the Statistical Department of the Imperial Maritime Customs — down to 1904 are appended : — Taels. Taels. Taels. Taels. Taels. Taels. Opium ,000,000 1 ,000,000 ,000,000 .000,000 .000.000 .000.000 Cotton manufactures ,000,000 1 ,000,000 ,000,000 ,000,000 ,000,000 ,000,000 Woollen „ ,000,000 ,500.000 ,500,000 ,500,000 ,500,000 ,500,000 Metals ,000,000 ,000,000 ,500.000 ,500,000 ,500,000 ,500,000 Coal — — ,500,000 ,000,000 .500,000 ,000,000 Kerosene Oil — — ,500,000 ,000,000 ,500,000 ,000,000 Sundries, unclassed ,000,000 ,500,000 ,000,000 ,000,000 ,000,000 ,000,000 These imports were derived from the following sources : —

Taels. Taels. Taels. Taels. Taels. Tads. Hongkong ,000,000 ,000,000 ,000,000 ,000.000 ,000,000 ,000,000 India ,000,000 ,000,000 ,000,000 ,000,000 ,000,000 ,000,000 Great Britain ,000,000 ,000,000 ,000,000 ,000,000 ,000,000 ,000,000 Japan ,000,000 ,000,000 ,000,000 ,500,000 ,500,000 ,000,000 Continent of Europe — — ,500,000 ,000,000 ,000,000 ,000,000 United States — — ,500,000 ,000,000 ,000,000 ,000,000 Other countries ... ,000,000 ,500,000 ,000,000 ,000,000 ,000,000 ,000,000 The main headings under which net im- ports were classified in 1906 and 1907 are to be found below : — . . Tads. Taels. Opium ,285.377 ,653,653 Cotton goods ... .727,845 ,915,923 Woollen and cotton mixtures ,269,812 .5.53.805 Woollen goods ... .382,958 .345.001 Miscellaneous piece goods ... ,062,711 .288,583 Metals ,289,855 ,942,285 Sundries ,251,524 ,702,119 Total ... ,270,082 ,401,369

These figures need some explanation, for they do not, at first sight, seem consistent with the trade depression which has prevailed in China for the past two or three years, or with the decrease of TIs. 1,221,707 in the import revenue. The explanation is to be found in the inclusion among "sundries" of certain exceptional items, namely, flour, rice, and railway plant, which were responsible for an increase of Tls.31, 720,822. If this sum be deducted it will be seen that the value of what may be termed the normal import trade amounted only to TIs. 385,680,547 a decrease of TIs. 24,589,535 — a figure which much more accurately represents the state of trade. This result is reflected in the Customs revenue, because flour, rice, and railway plant are duty free.

That there has not been any sensible diminution so far in the quantity of opium imported. notwithi ing the anti-opium movement. is apparent from the following return : —

Year. Piculs. i8<j8 ... .752 ... ,161 ... .279  ... .484  ... .764 Year. Piculs. . • 58.457 <;04 . • 54.752 k;05. . 51.920 . ■ 54.117  . . 54.584

The sources of supply are shown below 1907 Malwa. Piculs. .368 17,394 Patna. Piculs. « 24,129 Benares. Persian Total. Piculs. .475 11.568 Piculs. Piculs. i 54,117 1,493 i 54,584

The foreign opium is distributed principally through Shanghai and Canton, which in 1907 imported 15,722 and 10,404 piculs respectively.

Of the cotton goods imported, the chief items, including those which are principally responsible for the large decrease of Tls.33, 81 1,922, may be tabulated as follows: —

Taels. Taels. English grey shirtings ,228,716 ,551.571 American grey sheet- ings ,847,714 ,325,070 Shirtings, white. plain ,736.011 ,007,818 American drills ,002,031 ,754 Cotton Italians, plain, fast black ,550,093 ,400,762 Cotton Italians, figured ,607,906 ,211.682 Indian cotton yarn ,109,724 .423,206 Japanese „ „ ,649,172 ,170,684