CHINA
747
“Woollen and cotton mixtures have declined, though union and poncho cloths were in request; but woollen goods shared to some extent in the general advance. Metals, almost without exception, show larger figures, and the total value under this head is nearly 11 million taels more than in 1912, when importations of metals were short. The largest increase (Taels 3,000,000) is in copper ingots, mainly Japanese, for provincial Mints. Among sundries, the most striking advance is in sugar, of which the import has in- creased by 2,557,000 piculs, adding Taels 12,395,000 to the value of the trade. Next in importance comes rice, of which 5,415,000 piculs were imported, or more than double the quantity taken from abroad in 1912. Cigarettes and tobacco add nearly 43 million taels aniline dyes, 3.2 million; artificial indigo, 2.3 million; fishery products, 2.4 million; machinery, 2 million; paper, 2.9 million: timber, 2.4 million; while tea from India, Ceylon, and Java, used in the manufacture of tea bricks, increased by 55,000 piculs, valued at Taels 1,184,000. Flour shows a decline of 600,000 piculs, probably due to the abundance of native and imported rice and of flour from local mills; while a decrease of 1.6 million gross in the importations of matches affords evidence of the growth of the home industry.
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"Exports.--The year is generally, and no doubt justly, regarded as having been un- favourable to exports. The high exchange and the political and financial disorders prevailing in the country sufficiently account for this, in the absence of exceptional foreign demand for Chinese produce. Yet the value of exports to foreign countries was 403 million taels, or 32.8 million taels higher than in 1912. The foreign demand for China silk was disappointing in view of the hopes based on improved political conditions in the Balkans and on the marked shortage of the European crop. The export abroad of raw white silk was, indeed, larger than in 1912 by a few hundred piculs, and establishes a new record; and steam filatures increased considerably at the expense of other descriptions, but yellow and wild silk fell back noticeably from the point reached in 1912. Yields of white silk were good generally and, at Canton, exceptional, averaging eight-tenths for the first six months and winding up the year with a final crop of similar excellence. It is remarked that the Chinese demand for silk has recovered from the temporary vogue of foreign fashions which followed the revolution, and this fact helped to keep Chinese prices well above the low levels reached in Japan in the latter part of the year.
"The exports abroad of black tea- 547,708 piculs were some 50,000 piculs below the lowest total yet recorded, that of 1905, and 100,000 piculs less than the total of 1912. This great decline is practically confined to congous, in which are included the bulk of the low-priced teas. It would seem that if the China tea trade is to be saved from practical extinction, it can only be by improved methods of production.
"The quantity of beans exported abroad-10,326,000 piculs-was less than in 1912 by 608,000 piculs, though the value--Hk. Taels 23,297,000-was but slightly reduced.
"The export trade in coal, practically non-existent before 1909, is increasing rapidly, and in 1913 amounted to 1.5 million tons, valued at 6.6 million taels. The coal exported is the produce of the Kailan and Fushun mines and goes chiefly to Japan, but the demand for it increases throughout Eastern Asia. Of cotton, which yielded an average crop, the shipments were rather smaller, the high exchange helping its retention in the country, to the advantage of local mills. The world supply of cotton is barely sufficient for growing needs, and China, in virtue of her suitable climate and soil, might well claim a much more important position as a cotton producer than she now holds.
"Shipping. The entries and clearances totalled 190,738, with a tonnage of 93,334,830 tons, showing an increase of 4 million tons over the record year of 1910. As compared with 1912 the greatest increase-2,625 vessels and 34 million tons-is under the Japanese ag. This development of Japanese shipping is noticeable at most of the leading ports on the coast and on the Yangtze. British tonnage maintains the advance made in 1912, and there is an
appreciable increase under the American and German flags. French tonnage has declined, chiefly owing to the transfer of three steamers plying on the West River from the French flag to the Chinese, and Norwegian tonnage has fallen much below its average. It may be surmised that the class of steamer so long known on the coast under the Norwegian flag finds the competition of the regular lines and of Japanese shipping increasingly difficult to meet.
"Treasure. Of treasure reported at the various Custom Houses, a noticeable feature is the unusually large importations of bar silver and sycee, chiefly from Europe direct, Hongkong, America, and Japan. Net importations in this form, probably in part for loan purposes, amounted to 403 million taels, while of silver coins there was an excess export to Hongkong of about 43 million taels, leaving a balance of 36 millions to represent the net import of silver. taels."
As against this there is an excess export of gold of 1.4 million