56
57
The percentages of the total trade taken by the chief countries who compete for the exports of Saigon are as follows:-
Articles.
1912.
1913.
1914.
Origin.
Soap
Franes. 1,353,194
Francs.
916,144
France. 1,421,130
France, 66 per cent. Hong Kong.
26 per cent.
Vegetables
Automobiles
Other articlos -
Total
Chinese vermicelli
-
2,148,375 846,136 1,153,944
2.161,159 1,272,758 1,118,068 1,022,994 2,081,202 978,648
Fresh from China and Hong Kong.
34,603,742 | 41,873,262 : 36,405,489
126,389,131 161,590,825 148,710,390
£
£
£
Franco, 42 cars Singapore, 1 car Italy. I car; United States, 1 car.
France and colonies Hong Kon Singapore
Netherlands India Tupsu
Philippines
Other countries
To
1912.
1913.
1914.
Per cent,
Per cent.
Per cent.
22.71
28.73
28-20
28.15
29.35
25.26
18.93
14.04
16-23
0.75
9.43
10.61
5.44
7-70
7.47
17-98
4.07
4-19
6.04
6.68
8.04
Equivalent in sterling 5,055,565 6,463,633 5,948,416
Expressed in the form of percentages the total import trade of Saigon was divided as follows:-
France and French colonics Hong Kong
Singapore
China
Other countries
1912.
1913.
1914.
Per cent. 51.06
Per cent.
Per cent.
42.42
39.34
27-12
25.96
19.89
9-71
12.08
17.03
3.29
9.80
12.65
8.82
9.74
11.09
The proportion of the total import trade held by the United Kingdom and her colonies (Hong Kong, Singapore, and British India) in 1914 compares favourably with that of France and her colonies, the figures being 41 60 per cent. and 39 34 per cent. respectively; but it must be remembered that both the Singapore and Hong Kong imports are in the main goods transhipped, and do not represent the products of those colonies.
The largest single item of British Empire trade is the import of some 600,000Z. worth of jute gunny bags from Calcutta. The fact that the United Kingdom only sends such a small quantity of cotton tissues direct, and that 95 per cent. of a total annual import of approximately 700,000l. worth of cotton piece goods is drawn from France and her colonies, is a striking commentary on the ultra-protectionist régime in Indo-China, which has the effect of completely excluding foreign countries from the trade in those goods which France can possibly manufacture. It should be noted, however, that a certain proportion of the imports from France were probably goods of British origin.
Export Trade. The subjoined table gives the total shipments of produce during the years 1912, 1913, and 1914, together with the principal destinations:-
Articles.
1912.
1913. ' 1914.
Destination.
The
Rice is the staple product of the country and is planted in almost every province, with the exception of the northern districts. During the past 20 years the area under cultivation has almost doubled, and Saigon rice can always find a ready market not only in the great consuming countries of the East but also in Europe. export trade is very largely in the hands of Chinese merchants, and two well-equipped steam rice mille were, before the war, managed and largely owned by Germans. These, however, have been closed since August 5th, 1914. The principal French rice-exporting houses of good standing are Messrs. W. G. Hale & Co., Messrs. Denis Frères, Messrs. L. Ogliastro et Cie., and La Compagnie de Commerce et de Navi- gation d'Extrême-Orient. All these firms hold good British agencies and can be confidently recommended.
The only other products exported from Saigon which might be of interest to British importers are pepper, copra, and hides.
Lack of British Activity. It will have been noted that the share of the United Kingdom in the direct import trade of the colony is insignificant, although
a fair quantity of British piece goods were shipped via Hamburg and Paris. This is almost entirely due to the great handicap of the fiscal disabilities imposed on our trade under the highly protective system in vogue. This state of affairs is likely to continue, however, after the war unless, by bargaining or otherwise, His Majesty's Government can induce their French allies materially to reduce the tariff. The following principal items of manufactured goods imported in 1914 are almost all articles in which British manufacturers could compete, provided that they possessed a fair field:
Cotton piece goods
Paper and manufactures thereof
Cotton thread
Machinery
Iron and steel
£
700,000
200,000
160,000
100,000
70,000
65,000
40,000
Rice
!
Fish and fish products
Prepared skins
Maize
Pepper -
L'opra
Hidea
Colton
Tortoiseshell
-
Franes.
France. Franes. 74,672,391 |160,009,923 173,882,930
14,432,322 14,989,520 15,193,166
3.573,997 4,914,622 5.377,309 2,749,158 8,780,276 3.712.580 3,233,424 3,691,113 2,784,524
Other urticles -
Total
Equivalent in sterling
2,394,585 1,690,644
4,997,393 5,559,001
2,094,538 3,682,202
2,507,960 1,101,810 922,350 7,651,107 7,707,678 7,940,259
118,406,875 212,126,789 216,404,947
t
£
£ 4,736,275 8,485,072
2,522,612
2,278,448
1,790,769
8,656, 198
Frauce and French colonies, Hong Kong, Sugapore, Dutch Indies, Japan, United Kingdom, Philippines, Germany.
Hong Kong, 22 per cent.; Singapore, 63 per cent.; France, 13 per cent. Hong Kong, 767 tons.
All to France.
•
France, 2,626 tons; Singapore, 300
tons: Hong Kong, 100 tons.
France, 8,151 tons; Hong Kong, 116
tous Singapore, 91 tona.
France, 382 tons; United Kingdom,
432 tons; Hong Kong, 52 tone. Hong Kong, 38 per cent. of value;
Japan, 60 per cent. of value. Hong Kong, 99 per cent.
Soap
Motor cars
Under present conditions, however, there is little prospect of any material expansion of our trade.
13
It is remarkable that there is not a single British mercantile house established in the colony. We have seen that in Manila, despite the American occupation and a high tariff, local British mercbants transact a considerable proportion of the trade. The most probable reason for this total absence of British merchants in Indo-China is that the French colonial ports are essentially French towns. Instead of English being the "lingua franca
of the coast, as everywhere else in the Far East, French is exclusively the language of trade even with Chinese and natives. French customs and mode of life predominate, and subjects of other nationalities are not received with cordiality. One or two German firms, however, were most active before the war, and it might have been hoped that some enterprising British firm would have endeavoured to take advantage of the opening offered by their disappearance, but no attempt has as yet been made,
The only British houses represented are the Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation and the Chartered Bank, who share with the Banque de l'Indo-Chine, the finance and exchange of the foreign business. The name of Messrs. W. G. Hale & Co.,
2667
H
625
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