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origin, and it is not possible to distinguish the various
items of trade accurately. By examination of the
individual items of trade, it is, however, possible to make
an approximate estimate of the values of the respective
items and the following broad results emerge. One third
of the imports is of goods intended for retention in Hong
Kong, coming from Chinese and non-Chinese countries in
the proportions of one to three; and a tenth or less of
the exports is of goods originating in Hong Kong (e.g.
refined sugar, rubber shoes).
Re-exports constitute ras
of the imports and 9 of the exports. of them some 10%
10
consists of "Chinese coastal trade", 20 or 25 per cent.
consists of non-Chinese entrepôt trade and the remainder,
nearly 70% is made up of goods passing between China and
the rest of the world via Hong Kong.
4.
Perhaps the most interesting thing in these
proportions is the comparative importance of the Chinese
coastal trade and the non-Chinese entrepôt trade. It is
common to speak of Hong Kong's trade as being almost
wholly concerned with China, but the figures make it quite
clear that such a part of it as is concerned with China
alone is less important than that which is not concerned
with China at all. The latter consists of such items as
the trade in rice from Siam and Indo-China to Japan and
the Philippines, the trade in wheat flour from North
America to Siam and the trade in Japanese manufactured
articles to Indo-China, Siam, Malaya and the Netherlands
East Indies.
5.
Time has not permitted detailed analysis
over a period of years, but so far as the figures have
been
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