Directory_and_Chronicle_1925 — Page 647

CHINA

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other measures, and their efforts in this direction are already meeting with notable

success.

The total export of Beans of all variesies--black, green, white, yellow, and other kinds-came to 18.3 million piculs in 1923, which compares with 14.8 million piculs in 1922 and 11.5 million piculs in 1921. A steady advance is therefore noticeable.

The aggregate quantity of Bean Oil exported from China amounted to 2,126,928 piculs, a substantial increase over the 1922 total of 1,480,196 piculs. This activity in the bean oil trade is accounted for by the poor cotton seed harvest in America, which caused a shortage in vegetable oil and gave rise to an improved demand for Manchu rian bean oil.

The exportation of the various items composing the metals and minerals group generally shows some improvement in 1923 as compared with 1922. Antimony regulus fell off slightly, the quantities exported being 201,031 piculs in 1922, which receded to 193,112 piculs in the following year. Crude antimony and antimony ore, on the other hand, advanced from 26,521 and 30,490 piculs in 1922 to 48,406 and 33,902 piculs in 1923. Iron plates and sheets grew from 95 piculs in 1922 to 57,148 piculs in the year just ended; while a notable increase was recorded in the export figures of iron ore, which rose from 11,119,710 piculs in 1922 to 12,226,719 piculs in the year under review. Manganese ore appears for the first time in the Export table, with a total export in 1923 of 457,547 picules, while wolfram ore, which is likewise entered separately for the first time, registered an exportation of 66,929 piculs in the same year.

Next in importance, as far as quantities exported are concerned, is Wood Oil, which was exported in 1923 to the extent of 836,887 piculs, as against 745,565 piculs in 1922. Groundnut Oil was likewise exported in increased quantities, the total being 467,140 piculs, as against 383,521 piculs in 1922. Cotton Seed Oil and Sesamum Seed Oil both registered increased export totals, but the exportation of Tea Oil declined in 1923 as compared with the preceding year. The chief consuming centres for vege- table oils from China are America (1,087,750 piculs), Great Britain (645,270 piculs), Hongkong (371,907 piculs), the Netherlands (344,179 piculs), Russia (Pacific ports) (299,767 piculs), Turkey, Persia, etc. (279,340 piculs), and Germany (151,751 picùls).

The trade in the various kinds of skins, hides, and furs in 1923 was greater than in 1922 in the case of many of the items enumerated. Skins and furs from China go principally to Japan (buffalo and cow hides, 90,072 piculs), America (buffalo and cow hides, 50,045 piculs; untanned goat skins, 6,322,320 pieces; tanned goat skins, 529,910 pieces; dressed lamb skins, 491,361 pieces; fox skins, 42,770 pieces; marmot skins, 1,191,698 pieces; weasel skins, 687,141 pieces), and Great Britain (tanned goat skins, 598,152 pieces; dressed lamb skins, 423,619 pieces; fox skins, 68,189 pieces; marmot skins, 1,046,809 pieces; weasel skins, 318,786 pieces).

It is to be regretted that the exportation of sheep's wool, which showed good promise of development in 1922, fell off in 1923, the totals being 507,597 piculs in 1922 as against 352,109 piculs in the following year. This decline must be attributed to the disordered state of the west of China, which materially interfered with the transport of supplies from the region. The principal countries to which Chinese wool was despatched in 1923 were America (327,767 piculs), Great Britain (53,329 piculs), and Japan (41,750 piculs).

The trade in Fresh and Preserved Eggs has not shown much improvement during the last few years, as will be seen from the totals exported, which amounted to 1,180,714, 1,181,980, and 1,101,049 mille during the years 1921, 1922, and 1923 respectively. The total quantity of egg albumen and yolk exported from China in 1923 was 377,535 piculs, which is somewhat less than the 1922 export, which totalled 432,314 piculs.

The quantity of bristles exported in 1923 totalled 74,422, as against 67,841 and 44,105 piculs in 1922 and 1921 respectively. Owing to low stocks abroad, prices Tadvanced considerably throughout the year, closing with a total advance of some 35 per cent. over the January figure. All supplies found a ready market, and nothing was obtainable, though the demand was keen, for the last few months of the year. IT The countries of destination in 1923 were Great Britain (30,156 piculs), America 'S) (27,774 piculs), Japan (5,550 piculs), and France (4,020 piculs).

Products. A remarkable advance was recorded in the export of sheetings, from 352,132 pieces in 1921 to 88,012 pieces in the following year, which figure rose to as high as 626,697 pieces in 1923 Drills and jeans increased from 5,385 pieces in 1922 to 17,853 pieces in 1923, while the exportation of fancy native cloth reached a total of 1,039,559 pieces in 1923, as against only 10,668 pieces in the previous year. Many other annstances of a steady growth can be cited, and year after year new articles are added