Directory_and_Chronicle_1939 — Page 383

CHINA)

A5

DIRECTION OF TRADE

IT

The following table shows the direction of China's foreign trade for 1936 and 1937 and her balance of trade in merchandise with each of the countries listed for the year under review:

#:

The "Direction" "of "Chind's Foreign Trade

W

In thousands of standard dollars (000 omitted)

A

NET IMPORTS.

NET EXPORTS.

COUNTRY.

1936.

1937.

1936.

1937.

1937. Excess of

St. $

per cent.

St. $ per cent.

St. $

per cent.

St. $ per cent. Imports. Exports.

Australia

15,98

Belgium

26,003

2.76

British India

24,712

2.63

1.70. 16,334, 1.71 28,828 2.97 20,679 2.17

6,081

0.86..

5,395. 0.64

10,939

6,322

0.90

5,705

0.69

18,685

2.65

T8, 294

1.94 44

,22,533

4,385

Canada

19,782.

2.10

17,093

1.79

..5,270

.0.75.

7,089.... 0:83

·10,004

Cuba

20.

29

115

Denmark

2,339

0.25

687

0:07

#

f

9.02

104 0.01

75

3,665

6:52

Formosa

9.584 0.31

1,897

3,248 0.34

3,541

0.37

France

4,846

0,69. 2,845100.34

\696

18,311. 1.94

:15,092

. 1.58

30,388

French Indo-China

4.3132,647, 1, 3.89

17,549

17,922

1.90 29,880

3.14

9,891

1.40

Germany

12,827 3.53

17,053

150,051

15.94146,249

15,34

39,173

5.55.

Great Britain

72,477. 8.65

$78,772

10,332

11.72 111,490

11.70

64,882

9.19

80,379,9.59

31,111

Hongkong

16,554

1.76

17,432

1,83

Italy

105,979 15.02

162,414 19.38

144,982

12,200

1.30

9,884. 1.04

3,389

0.48

Japan.

6,840 00:82

3,044

153,369

16.29

150,264.15.76

Korea

2,931

0.31

2,344 0,25

9,740

Luxemburg

1,717

0,18

4,605

0.48

101,947 14.45 1.38

84,305 10.0f

85,959

7,712 0.92

5,368

Macao

4,605

745 0.08

897

0.09

Netherlands

3,277 0.46

5,127 1270.61

4,230

4,763

0.51

6,038

0.63

16,546

2.34

Netherlands India

14,261 1.70

8,223

74,359

7.90

80,702

.

8.47

4,733

0.67

6,228 0.74

New Zealand

74,474

340

0.04

1,306

0.14.

497

0.07.

.5.91.

0.07.

715

Norway

2,862-

0.30

6,290 0.55

Philippine Islands.

1,163

0.16

1,220

0.15

4,070

3,949 0.42

3,832 0.40

6,101

0.86

Siam

6,914

0.83.

3,112

18,852

2.00

15,829

1.66

S.S. & F.M.S.

4,050

0.57

4,111.

1.0.49

11,718

L

10,761. 1.14

10,331

: 1.08

15,644

2.22

Sweden

19,208

.2.29

8,877

6,501 0.69

6,722

0:71'..

1,993:

0,28

Switzerland

6,312 0.67

2,650

0.31

4,072

9,722

1.02

243

0.03

227 0.03

U.S.A.

9,495

.185,134 19.66

U.S.S.R. (Russia) Other Countries

188,741

19.80

86,320

26.40

231,445

27.61.

42,704

1,221 0.13 50,266. 5.34

682

0.07

4,210 0.60

4,839 *0.58

4,157

49,363

5.18

Total

941,544 100.00 953,386 100.00

50,591. 7.17

705,741 100.00

41,704 4.97

7,659

838,256 100.00 115,130

I

A

Individually, the order of importance of the major countries for the year 1937 is found to be the United States of America, Japan, Germany and Great Britain, with respective totals for their imports and exports of $420 million, $235 million, $219 million and $192 million; representing, in the case of the United States of America, an increase of $49 million a decline of $20 million in the case of Japan, and increases of $30 million for Germany and $17 million for Great Britain. In percentages the order in the case of imports is the United States of America, 19.80 per cent; Japan, 15.76 per ceut; Germany, 15.34 per cent; and Great Britain, 11.70 per cent; and, in the case of exports, the United States of America, 27.61 per cent: Japan, 10.06 per cent; Great Britain, 9.59 per cent; and Germany, 8.65 per cent. The percentage of the import trade attributed to Hongkong was less than 2 per cent; the introduction of the consular invoice system, as pointed out in previous reports, eliminating to a very great extent the difficulty in determining the countries of origin in the case of imports. The same, however, does not apply to the export trade, Hongkong's share of which appears as 19.38 per cent for the year, it being well known that Hongkong serves primarily as an entrepot for Chinese trade, that a relatively small portion of China's export trade originates in the Colony, and that most of Hongkong's share of the Chinese export trade should rightly be re-allocated to other foreign countries. The increase in Hongkong's percentage of the export trade from 15.02 during 1936 to 19.38 per cent for 1937 is due, no doubt, to the diversion of Chinese exports via Canton and Hongkong, direct shipment abroad through Shanghai and other normal channels having been adversely affected by hostilities and the temporary cancellation of the calls at Shanghai of the vessels belonging to certain of the larger steamship lines.

{

.

+