Directory_and_Chronicle_1936 — Page 758

A368

NANKING

TRADE IN 1934

In

usual

reflect

The available statistics regarding the value of trade coming under Customs. cognizance during the year under review at the port of Nanking are as follows: direct foreign imports, 18.5 million dollars as against 21.4 million in 1933; direct exportations to foreign countries, 166,000 dollars as against 2,000 dollars in 1933; coastwise importations of Chinese produce, 3.8 million dollars as against 5.4 million in 1933; and coastwise exportations of Chinese pro- duce 13.3 million dollars as against 15 million in 1933. making statistical comparisons such as tliese, however, the caution must be added that the figures given do not variations in the whole trade of the port, but only in the Customs-controlled steamer-borne trade. Some of the crops in the district

Some of the crops in the district suffered from the extensive drought referred to in the introduction to this report, but it will be realised that the statistics of the port are not now affected by the extent of the local harvest so much as by the state of affairs in the cast territories traversed by the Lung-Hai and the Tientsin-Pukow Railways; while the requirements of the port itself are almost equally unaffected by the economic condition of the surrounding country, being governed rather by the growing importance of Nanking as the capital of China and the seat of National Government, where, according to one estimate, some 20 million dollars have been spent on private building construction alone during the 3 years ending June 1934, this figure taking no account of Government building operations, nor of municipal road construction and utility undertakings, nor of factory construction outside the municipal area. The return of direct foreign imports discloses conspicuous increases in the arrivals of iron rails (from 31,0000 to 215,000 quintals) and constructional steel (from 15,000 to 27,000 quintals), largely for the Sian-Tungkwan section of the Lung-Hai Railway; in copper wire (from 800 to 2,9000 quintals); in ordinary time (from 15,000 to 22,000 cubic metres), largely for building operations in the city, in railway sleepers (from 398,000 to 619,000 pieces); in kerosene oil (from 7.8 to 10.7 million litres); and in foreign sugar, which has advanced from only 27,000 quintals in 1932 to 80,000 quintals in 1933 and to 90,000 quintals in the year under review. Other important imports included scientific instruments and apparatus ; machinery for the Research Institute of Physics and Chemistry of the P'ing Kung Shu, the Central Military Academy, and the Tientsin-Pukow Railway; besides rolling-stock and "railway materials not otherwise recorded." Imports of foreign coal declined owing to the direct export trade to foreign countries. With the closing down of the International Export Company's factory (formerly the mainstay of the direct export trade) direct exportations gradually dwindled until they reached a value of under 2,000 dollars in 1933, but from this level the value under this Returns heading rose to 166,000 dollars in the year under review, chiefly due to the forwarding of five shipments of coal, aggregating over 13,000 metric tons, to Japan. In addition, the coastwise exportations of this commodity (mostly from the Chungsing Mines in Shan- tung), which have grown from only 23,000 metric tons in 1931 to 195,000 tons in 1932 and to 517,000 tons in 1933, reached a total of 677,000 tons during the year under comment, requiring (besides much cargo space on river steamers) the dispatch of 17 coasting vessels direct to Ningpo, Canton, Aomy, and Cheffo loaded soley with coal. With the exception of this article, however, nearly all the staple exports registered decreases in the Returns, apparently on account, principally, of tlie diversion of trade to carriers not under Customs control. In March of the year under review the Pacific Alkali Company were authorised by the Government to manufacture sulphate of ammonia, ammonia, sulphuric acid, and nitric acid, etc., in addition to soda ash. To cope with this new business the company have increased their capital and registered under the new name of the Yung Lee Chemical Industries Company. The factory for their new products is to be situated at Hsiehchiatien, about 30 li down-stream from Pukow. The site covers an area of 1,3000 mou, on which roads, offices, and workmen's quarters have been already built, while pontoons have been