340
8.
Hong Kong Annual Administration Reports, 1841-1941
COLONIAL REPORTS—ANNUAL.
Imports.
The imports decreased by 280,750 tons, or 6.7 per cent., which is, of course, due to the war entirely. This decrease is almost all a shortage from European countries as the local trade has been quite up to the normal, except in the case of coal. Increases are shown in the following:- Beans, rice, and timber; whilst decreases are shown under the following:- Coal, cotton, flour, hemp, kerosene, both case and bulk, liquid fuel, and general.
Beans. Here the increase is very slight and shows that the trade, being a local one, has kept normal.
Coal- A very large decrease of coal has occurred, and this is naturally due to the falling-off in large ocean vessels taking bunker coal, and with less demand there has been less importation. No coal has been imported from Great Britain, but an increase is shown from Chinese ports.
Flour. A decrease is shown here of 56,597 tons. Again this is owing principally to the large stocks which were imported towards the latter part of 1914 and held over for a higher price. Also the Chinese did not use as much flour as in 1914 owing to the appreciable cheapening of the rice market. It is also due to high freights ruling and high cost of wheat in America.
Hemp. Here again a decrease is shown of 17,161 tons. Most of this shortage is probably transhipment cargo, as often hemp is transhipped here into home boats.
Kerosene Oil. Bulk oil shows a decrease of 5,636 tons and case oil of 25,161 tons. The decrease shown in bulk oil is only a nominal one and means that the trade has maintained an even balance, but case oil shows a heavy decrease, due undoubtedly to the high freight rates ruling and the difficulty of getting tonnage, which would have the effect of considerably increasing the cost per case. Importers who had large stocks in hand at the beginning of the year did not import, hoping for more normal times. One cargo for Hong Kong was lost off the coast of Japan, and owing to the temporary blocking of the Panama Canal, cargo destined to arrive in 1915 did not arrive until January, 1916.
Liquid Fuel. A decrease is shown of 14,945 tons, which is due entirely to the war, the withdrawal of the fleet and consequently small demand for this commodity outside merchant shipping. The fleet were practically the only consumers of liquid fuel out of this port.
Rattans. Here a decrease is shown, but in reality the importation has been about normal, the decrease shown being due to this cargo being classed as general.
Rice. There was an appreciable increase in the imports of rice, accounted for by the exceptionally large crops gathered during the year both in Siam and Indo-China, and the excessive demand from South China owing to the floods and large tracks of rice land not being under cultivation. This again, being a local trade, has been unaffected by the war.
340
8.
Hong Kong Annual Administration Reports, 1841-1941
COLONIAL REPORTS—ANNUAL.
Imports.
The imports decreased by 280,750 tons, or 6-7 per cent., which is, of course, due to the war entirely. This decrease is almost all a shortage from European countries as the local trade has been quite up to the normal, except in the case of coal. Increases are shown in the following:-Beans, rice, and timber; whilst decreases are shown under the following:-Coal, cotton, flour, hemp, kerosene, both case and bulk, liquid fuel, and general.
Beans. Here the increase is very slight and shows that the trade, being a local one, has kept normal.
Coal-A very large decrease of coal has occurred, and this is naturally due to the falling-off in large ocean vessels taking bunker coal, and with less demand there has been less importation. No coal has been imported from Great Britain, but an increase is shown from Chinese ports.
Flour.-A decrease is shown here of 56,597 tons. Again this is owing principally to the large stocks which were imported towards the latter part of 1914 and held over for a higher price. Also the Chinese did not use as much flour as in 1914 owing to the appreciable cheapening of the rice market. It is also due to high freights ruling and high cost of wheat in America.
Hemp.-Here again a decrease is shown of 17,161 tons. Most of this shortage is probably transhipment cargo, as often hemp is transhipped here into home boats.
Kerosene Oil.-Bulk oil shows a decrease of 5,636 tons and case oil of 25,161 tons. The decrease shown in bulk oil is only a nominal one and means that the trade has maintained an even balance, but case oil shows a heavy decrease, due undoubtedly to the high freight rates ruling and the difficulty of getting tonnage, which would have the effect of considerably increasing the cost per case. Importers who had large stocks in hand at the beginning of the year did not import, hoping for more normal times. One cargo for Hong Kong was lost off the coast of Japan, and owing to the temporary blocking of the Panama Canal, cargo destined to arrive in 1915 did not arrive until January, 1916.
Liquid Fuel.-A decrease is shown of 14,945 tons, which is due entirely to the war, the withdrawal of the fleet and consequently small demand for this commodity outside merchant shipping. The fleet were practically the only consumers of liquid fuel out of this port.
Rattans. Here a decrease is shown, but in reality the importation has been about normal, the decrease shown being due to this cargo being classed as general.
Rice. There was an appreciable increase in the imports of rice, accounted for by the exceptionally large crops gathered during the year both in Siam and Indo-China, and the excessive demand from South China owing to the floods and large tracks of rice land not being under cultivation. This again, being a local trade, has been unaffected by the war.
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