1930.

1931.

Hk. Tls. Hk. Tls.

211,423

218,170

5,100

4,463

27,831

11,364

Siam

Singapore, Straits, etc.

Dutch Indies.

British India

3,374

4,863

CHINA.

DIRECTION OF TRADE.

377

The following table shows the direction of China's foreign trade for the years 1930, and 1931 and her balance of trade in merchandise with each of the countries listed :-

COUNTRY.

Hongkong

Macao

French Indo-China

The Direction of China's Foreign Trade

In thousands of Haikwan taels (000 omitted)

NET IMPORTS.

EXPORTS.

1930. 1931.

1930. Excess of Imports. Exports. Hk. Tis. Hk. Tis.

..

1931. Excess of Imports. Exports. Hk. Tls. Hk. Tls.

69,858

Hk. Tls.

Hk. Tls.

158,018

148,312

53,405

4,022

3,575

1,078

888

3,882

2,394 23,949

8,970

..

5,554

5,031

2,180

168

8,831

8,390

19,177

15,916

10,346

7,526

47,450

54,201

11,707

12,987

35,743

41,214

132,093

84,989

Turkey, Persia, Egypt, Aden, etc..

16,953

18,118 115,140

66,871

: 1,865

Great Britain

Norway..

4,226

22,150

25,434

20,285

21,208

107,118

119,341

62,669

64,526

44,449

54,818

3,213

2,241

301

751

Sweden

2,909

1,490

4,164

Denmark

4,735

687

659

3,477

4,076

410

312

Germany

1,634

2,623

1,224

2,311

68,799

83,168

Netherlands

23,361

23,138

45,438

60,030

10,627

13,493

Belgo-Luxemburg Economie

41,944

49,528

34,317

36,035

Federation

27,401

30,259

4,533

France

4,074

22,868

26,185

16,758

21,420

42,700

34,111

Switzerland

25,942

12,691

2,695

4,266

89

142

Italy

2,606

:

4,124

14,648

19,383

9,332

8,746

Russia and Siberia

5,316

10,637

18,461

24,565

55,413

54,657

Korea

36,952

30,092

13,022

10,069

44,175

29,631

Japan (including Formosa)

31,153

19,562

322,303

290,386

216,555

264,956

105,748

Philippine Islands

25,430.

4,211

3,918

8,353

Canada

8,313

4,142

4,395

U.S. of America (incl. Hawaii) Cuba

13,488

22,572

3,491

3,736

9,997

18,836

231,653

Australia, New Zealand, etc. Other Countries

320,266 1,351

444 7,586 61,233 3,881

131,880

120,205

99,773

200,061

7

18

1,344

426

1,308

1,689

6,278

59,544

10,749

1,946

6,206

1,935

4,543

Total

414,912 .

524,013

1,309,756 1,433,489 894,844 909,476

The table is compiled in accordance with the declarations made by importers and exporters, or according to the countries of origin and final destination appearing on bills of lading and shipping orders, and, with the special care now being taken to ensure accuracy in the entries in this respect on the new statistical copies of applica- tions, it is hoped that truer information regarding the real provenance and destination of cargoes is now being obtained. In seeking to analyse the table, however, allowance must still be made for the difficulties met with in connection with certain classes of merchandise arriving or leaving via Hongkong and, to a lesser degree, but of consider- able importance in the case of cargoes to and from Northern and Manchurian ports, consignments to or from Pacific ports via Japan. Disregarding the debatable figures for Hongkong, it will be seen that in the year under review America took first place from Japan in imports, the latter country taking second place, and Great Britain (ex- cluding Hongkong) taking third place. In exports, however, Japan maintained the lead despite heavy losses in trade towards the end of the year, America and Great Britain taking second and third places respectively. In total foreign trade, first, second, and third places went to Japan, America, and Great Britain in that order. The positions given are those that have been attained in the above table of silver values. Japan's loss of position in the import trade must be attributed, needless to say, to the boycott of her merchandise, which exhibited heavy losses under the headings of raw cotton, cotton yarn, cotton goods, sugar, coal, and fishery and sea products. British India dropped from third to fourth place in the import column mainly on account of an 8 million picul decrease in her shipments of rice to this country. Germany's import account was strengthened by important increases in woollen yarn, sulphate of ammonia, aniline dyes, artificial indigo, chemical products not otherwise recorded, paper, and iron and steel. America's increased imports into China were chiefly in the form of grain and raw materials that were cheap owing to over-production and the general shrinkage in world demand, such as wheat, raw cotton, leaf tobacco, and softwood timber, while, although kerosene oil declined in quantity, an increase in its silver value was recorded. The very striking import figures for Australia and New Zealand are due- to a rise of no less than 13.6 million piculs in shipments of wheat to this country. In

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