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Hong Kong Annual Administration Reports, 1841-1941
8
The following figures, taken from returns for 1924 (the last available), show the principal countries with which trade is carried on:-
Imported from £ Exported to £ United Kingdom 9,450,000 744,000 Germany 1,835,000 132,000 Belgium 696,000 19,000 Holland 326,000 107,000 France 319,000 79,000 Italy 259,000 6,000 Sweden 173,000 2,000 Other European Countries 189,000 16,000 United States of America 5,915,000 2,489,000 Cuba, Central & S. America 169,000 933,000 Japan, Korea & Formosa 9,127,000 3,523,000 Australia 1,042,000 428,000 Canada 733,000 410,000 New Zealand 54,000 62,000 Foreign Countries Miscellaneous 195,000 38,000 £30,482,000 £8,988,000The Scale of Hong Kong's trade with neighbouring countries is indicated by the following figures, also taken from the statistics for 1924:-
Imported from £ Exported to £ India 1,998,000 Ceylon 805,000 133,000 Burmah 1,051,000 224,000 Straits Settlements & F.M.S. 1,692,000 2,893,000 British North Borneo 277,000 129,000 China *25,974,000 39,738,000 Netherlands East Indies 9,457,000 1,054,000 French Indo-China 10,994,000 5,135,000 Siam 6,262,000 2,530,000 Philippine Islands 654,000 1,719,000 Total 58,380,000 54,360,000Hong Kong's own consumption and production of commodities is comparatively small; one of its main functions is to act as an entrepot and clearing house for the products of South China and for the world's manufactured goods passing into South China.
*This figure is obtained from the Chinese Maritime Customs Returns.