TIENTSIN
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Among the principal items in the chemical group, sulphate of ammonia in- creased from 158,569 quintals in the previous year to 187,645 quintals. To this total Germany contributed 92,039 quintals and Britain 74,814 quintals. Imports from Japan, however, dropped from 49,048 quintals in 1938 to 11,113 quintals. Chemical or artificial fertilisers, not otherwise recorded, showed still greater figures. In 1938 total imports amounted to 49,945 quintals and in 1939 to no less than 187,637 quintals. Shipments from Japan accounted for 143,197 quin- tals, with the Kwantung Leased Territory following with 41,440 quintals. Im- ports of soda ash totalled 45,996 quintals as against 81,509 quintals in 1938. Shipments from Britain, the main supplier, dropped from 50,200 quintals in the previous year to 39,079 quintals. Caustic soda registered 33,806 quintals, roughly approximating the amount of 1938. To this total Britain contributed 18,124 quintals and Japan 10,799 quintals. The dyeing industry was responsible for most of the increase, but soap works have also had quite a busy year. With the exception of tanning materials, of which Argentina was the biggest supplier, Japanese products dominated the trade in all the other dyes, followed by Ger- many. The actual consumption of dyestuffs in North China during the year was much below normal.
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Of kerosene oil, Netherlands India supplied 44,294,385 litres, the United States of America 16,118,038 litres, and Japan 13,605,188 litres. Trading con- tinued to be confined to points along the railways, penetration into father out- lying areas being greatly hindered by restrictions intended primarily to prevent supplies from reaching the Chinese guerrillas: The main suppliers of gasolene were also Netherlands India, the United States of America, and Japan, contri- buting 12,070,845, 4,361,208, and 2,904,262 litres respectively. The total consump- tion of motor gasolene increased by about 50 per cent over 1938. The floods in Hopeh had a very adverse effect on gasolene consumption. In liquid fuel the trade was also shared by Netherlands India, the United States of America, and Japan, with a preponderance in favour of the first. In lubricating oil Japanese products led with 1,435,502 litres, followed closely by the United States of America and the Kwantung Leased Territory with 1,278,915 and 1,098,411 litres respectively.
The importations of timber showed an increase of 50 per cent, the total value being $12 million as compared with $8 million in 1938. Owing to the shortage of food supply, 846,153 quintals of rice and paddy was imported in 1938, whereas imports during 1939 amounted to 1,216,491 quintals. Indo-China, Korea, and Thailand (Siam) were the principal suppliers. Only 10 quintals of wheat was imported from Japan in 1938, but the total quantity received this year ran to 311,393 quintals, of which 196,901 quintals was shipped from Australia and 114,492 quintals from the United States of America. Finding it difficult to procure native wheat, local mills had to import foreign wheat to meet their requirements. Of wheat flour, 2,489,715 quintals was imported during the year as against the 1993 record of 2,076,580 quintals. Australia, the higgest supplier, contributed 1,598,649 quintals, followed by America and Japan with 677,044 and 152,285 quintals respectively. A very big increase was registered also in flour, not otherwise recorded, which jumped from 53,042 quintals in the previous year to 196,826 quintals, of which 138,185 quintals was shipped from Dairen.
Struggling hard under the stress of artificial restrictions and natural adversities, the export trade of the port managed to achieve some quite satis- factory results. Commencing from the 11th March, export abroad and to Cen- tral and South China of certain commodities had to be covered by a Certificate of Selling Exchange or by a Permit to Export. These rules were later extended in July to include all articles of export with only a few exceptions.
Continuing the boom witnessed in 1938, the bristle trade remained very brisk during the year under review. Total shipments of this article stood at 11,495 quintals valued at $15,765,325 as against 16,699 quintals valued at $14,- 608,855 in the previous year, which was the highest in the previous five years. As in former years the United States of America remained the biggest purcha- ser, taking 7,553 quintals, followed by Germany taking 1,841 quintals and Great