642
CHINA
Goods to the value of Tls. 71,706,061 were conveyed to, and to the value of TIs. 22,860,445 were brought from, the interior under transit passes.
The total carrying trade, foreign and coastwise, was divided amongst the different flags as under.
British...
Gernian
Japanese.
Norwegian
French..
American
Other Countries
Chinese
Entries and
Clearances
Tonnage
Values
Percentages Tonnage Trade.
30,142
35,095,658 Tls. 834,156,364
48.24
55.60
7,337
8,187,871
162,971,326
11.25
11'63
25,850
6,238,918
""
67,703,311
8:58
3:40
3.246
2,922,826
""
86,077,058
4'02
5:59
6,184
1,699,121
"
33,876,285
2:34
2:57
689
1,456
148,755
1,293,416 910,385 16,407,352
29,917,271
1.78
2.51
17
17,795,475
1'24
1:08
"}
410,344,864
22'55
17.62
223,959
72,755,547
1,642,841,954
100
100
į
The vessels entered and cleared in 1905 were made up of 88,362 Steamers of 66,372,624 tons, and 135,597 Sailing Vessels of 6,382,923 tons; the latter including 5,057,441 tons of native shipping not included in the returns previously to 1904.
The gross coast trade in vessels of foreign build amounted to Tls. 448,171,053 outward, and Tls. 491,494,431 inward, the net native imports (that is goods not re-ex- ported) at the Treaty Ports being Tis. 166,884,461, and the exports to Treaty Ports Tls. 134,800,774,
The Imperial Maritime Customs revenue for the same year amounted to Haikwan Taels 35,111,005, and was derived from
Import Export Coast T'de Opium
Duty. Duty. Foreign ... Tls. 12,705,385 7,311,538 Native..." 1,073,319 2,179,731
Total
11
Duty. Duty. 1,199,021 1,377,544 645,009 1,325,642
Opium T'nage Transit Lekin. Dues. Dues. 3,610,640 1,043,749 1,611,332 543,417 61,601 423,075
13,778,704 9,491,269 1,844,030 2,703,186 4,154,037 1,105,350
2,034,407
Mr. H. B. Morse, Statistical Secretary to the Imperial Maritime Customs, in his report on the Foreign Trade of China for 1995, says:---
Imports.-The total value of net Imports was Ĥk. Tls. 447,107,791, to which the north- ern, Yangtsze, and central ports contributed 76 per cent.; the southern ports, 22) per cent.; and the frontier ports, 14 per cent. This total was Hk. Tls. 103,040,183 more than in 1904, the increase being provided, roughly, a half by cotton manufactures, a fourth by metals, and a fourth by sundries.
Opium was imported in smaller quantities, 51,890 piculs of all kinds, the quantity being 5 per cent, and the value 8 per cent. less than in 1904. Bengal Opium (Benares and Patna) more than recovered the loss of 1904, being 1,343 piculs more than in 1903 and 4,666 piculs more than in 1904; Malwa and Persian together were 7,931 piculs less than in 1903, and 7,542 piculs less than in 1904. The reduction in the total is accounted for by diminished consumption in Central China-the Yangtsze basin with Chehkiang; and in that area the place of Indian Opium is being taken by its Chinese rival. The rise in exchange reduced the cost of laying down the Foreign drug, and its consumption would have been still less but for this fact and for the action of the Indian Opium Department in increasing its sales of Bengal Opium and lowering the price. For Chinese Opiuin a new generation is coming on which is not wedded to any other flavour, and which finds its flavour not unattractive and its lower cost decidedly attractive, and it is likely to tend more and more to replace Indian Opium.
"Cotton manufactures rose to the abnormal value of Hk. Tls. 181,452,953, which was 31 per cent. more than in 1901, on the inflated valuation of that year, and 30 per cent. more than the highest previously recorded import, that of 1902, when Cotton values were more normal. Plain fabrics (undyed Shirtings, Sheetings, T-Cloths, Drills, and Jeans) increased heavily, the importations in four years past having been as follows:- 1902, 18,710,469; 1903, 13,562,460 ; 1904, 12,640,084; 1905, 27,724,980 pieces. The price of Raw Cotton in the Western markets was low at the end of 1904 and continued low for the first three months of 1905; during this period, as stated in my last Report, orders were placed for future delivery of large quantities of Piece Goods, and the subsequent increase in the price of Cotton (an increase of 67 per cent., from 34d. per lb. in January to 6d. in December) operated only to the benefit of the indenters in China. Of the plain fabrics named above, supplies came from the principal producing countries in the following proportions :-
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