Thus-
Steamers.
No. of Times entered.
Total Tonnage.
Flag.
1907. 1908. 1907. 1908.
1907.
1908.
British Sailing Steamers... 355 358 1,867 1,923 3,581,867 3,586,510 7 7 3,730,927 Austrian, 9 9 30 25 106,523 97,789 Belgian, 1 1 1 1 2,903 2,903 Chinese, 20 16 214 229 267,789 291,416 Corean, 2 14 21,298 Danish, 9 6 21 15 41,122 34,211 Dutch, 18 15 69 97 142,100 201,014 French, 33 39 202 169 294,461 289,222 German, 137 129 790 745 1,246,053 1,188,100 Italian,... 3 4 12 31,704 31,400 Japanese,... 111 93 534 434 1,126,517 1,049,540 Norwegian, 59 39 290 181 265,728 192,278 Portuguese,. 2 5 59 87 19,128 23,487 Russian, 10 7 13 13 30,912 34,326 Swedish, 3 3 11 11 12,970 18,099 United Steamers 20 13 45 38 251,590 245,280 States Sailing... 1 1 1 72 809 Total, 800 745 4,182 3,991 7,467,511 7,452,498It may not be out of place to draw a comparison here between these figures and those of twenty years ago. In 1888, 2,614 British ships of 3,265,751 tons entered the port, against 10,115 ships of 11,792,752 tons in 1908. For Foreign ships the figures are in 1888, 1,206 ships of 1,252,862 tons and in 1908, 5,429 ships of 8,130,901 tons. These figures are those for Ocean and River Steamers, which were not distinguished in 1888 and Ocean going sailing ships (not junks).
TRADE.
Since Hongkong is a Free Port no accurate returns based on Customs entries, can be given of the exports, imports and goods in transit.
There are however certain items of cargo, dealt with in the Colony, of which, either from their nature and the circumstances under which they are imported, or from the fact that they are required by law to be specially reported, substantially accurate returns can be given. These items are Coal, Kerosene Oil (which includes all products of petroleum), Opium, Morphine, Compounds of Opium, and Sugar.
1,018,753 tons of Coal were imported during the year. This shows a negligible increase of 13,886 tons (1·3%) over the imports during 1907.
Of Bulk Oil 61,818 tons arrived, an increase of 17,938 tons, or 40·8%. This appears to have no special significance, but to be entirely due to the cheap freights ruling, and to the installation, by the Standard Oil Co., of oil tanks at Lai-chi-kok, which required filling.
40,018 tons of Case Oil arrived, being an increase of 3,289, or 8·9%, over the 1907 figures. Here, again, the cheap freights were taken advantage of to fill up stocks.
Liquid Fuel, which has increased from 3,272 tons in 1907 to 13,832 tons in 1908, was probably affected by the same causes as were Bulk and Case Oil, in addition to which, there has been an increased demand for this product, owing to more steamers using liquid fuel having visited the Colony during the year.
Although, as has been said, no reliable figures can be given for General Cargo it would appear from returns received, that there has been a considerable decline in the imports of Rice and Flour. The falling off in Rice is due to the exceptional crop in Northern and Central China as a result of which prices at Shanghai and the Yangtze ports were lower than in Siam and Annam, and the imports from those countries declined in consequence. It is also stated that the rice merchants of Bangkok instituted a boycott against the Norddeutscher Lloyd steamers (late Scottish Oriental) which monopolise the carrying trade between that port and Hongkong. The rice trade from the South having now reverted to its usual conditions, I see no reason to doubt that this year will see it restored to its former channels.