Directory_and_Chronicle_1914 — Page 776

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CHINA

The total carrying trade, foreign and coastwise, in 1912 was divided amongst the different flags as under:

Entries and

Clearances

Tonnage

Values

Percentages Tonnage Trade.

British..

Chinese

Japanese.

31,909

38,106,732 Tls. 883,230,078

44'20

45'16

107,698

17,277,407

374,672,579

20'04

19'16

20,091

19,913,385

357,115,556

23:10

18'26

German

Russian

French.. Norwegian American

4,778

6,171,684

150,088,190

7:16

7'67

""

303

465,761

""

72,214,627

*54

3.69

1,836

1,634,468

66,864,860

1.90

3:42

"5

1,086

1,121,785

21,278,642

1:30

1'09

1,622

715,001

"

9,857,647

*$3

*50

Dutch

275

387,471

19

9,551,880

*45

*49

Austrian

74

255,713

*****

""

9,123,971

*30

*47

Other Countries

263

157,090

39

1,771,228

*18

*09

169,935 86,206,497

"}

1,955,769,258

100

100

The vessels entered and cleared in 1912 were made up of 89,954 steamers of 81,203,082 tons, and 79,981 sailing vessels of 5,003,415 tons; the latter including 4,404,309 Chinese junk tonnage.

The gross coast trade in vessels of foreign build amounted to Tls. 538,360,610 outward, and Tls. 547,533,116 inward, the net native imports (that is, goods not re-ex- ported) at the Treaty Ports being Tls. 193,447,213, and the exports to Treaty Ports Tls. 183,9 6,868.

The Maritime Customs revenue for the same year amounted to Haikwan Taels 39,950,612, and was derived from :--

Import Export Coast T'de, Opium Opium T'nage. Transit Duty. Duty. Duty. Duty. Lekin. Dues. Dues. Foreign ...Tls. 13,151,495 10,750,276 1,592,080 1,568,640 3,920,984 1,287,187 1,312,271 Native

1,124,268 3,058,627 731,523 212,368

503,134 84,427 653,333

Totals......„, 14,275,763 13,808,903 2,323,603 1,781,008 4,424,118 1,371,614 1,965,604 The Native Customs Revenue at nineteen coast and river ports for the period 21st November, 1911, to 31st December, 1912, amounted to Hk. Taels 2,889,244.

Mr. J. L. Chalmers, Statistical Secretary to the Maritime Customs, in his report on the Foreign Trade of China for 1912 says:-

The influence of a high exchange on the year's values is clearly marked, and should not be forgotten when comparisons are being made. It will account for the fact that import values are often stationary or retrograde at the same time that quantities and duties have advanced. Even export values have been lowered, since, when the foreign buyer can no longer afford to pay the silver price demanded, the Chinese seller must either compromise or not sell.

Manchuria had a good crop of cereals and cocoons; while the bean crop was fair in South Manchuria and very good in the north. Yet exports fell off at Newchwang and Dairen by 8.79 million taels, and were less on the whole at the ports and marts under Harbin. The high silver exchange, the low European quotations for seed oils, and a temporary embargo on the export of cereals were among the chief causes of the decline. Imports were fairly well maintained in this region, except at Newchwang, where they decreased by over 3 million taels.

Considering the disorder which prevailed in Chihli in the early part of the year, and the outbreaks of mutinous soldiers which occurred in all the chief cities of the province, not excepting Peking itself, trade was well maintained.

The standing disadvantage from which Chefoo suffers in competition with the railway served Kiaochow was accentuated by the insecurity of its communications with the interior, and the port made little or no advance, if an increase in its imports of opium be excepted. Kiaochow, on the other hand, in spite of lower value rates, has taken the greatest forward step in its history as a port, and its trade is now about twice as large as that of Chefoo.

All the provinces traversed by the Yangtze yielded good harvests, and all the ports, with the exception of Kiukiang, shared in the increase of the export trade