Directory_and_Chronicle_1941 — Page 270

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Britain taking 1,281 quintals. It will be seen that in spite of all obstructions, the egg trade fared quite well during the year. The total value of eggs and egg products exported during 1939 was $19 million as against $11.4 million in the previous year. Great Britain and Germany were the best purchasers, while the United States of America, since the previous year, withdrew gradually from the market. Of dried albumen, Great Britain took 4,235 quintals and Germany 3,626 quintals. Of moist and frozen albumen, Great Britain was the only im- porter. Germany purchased 16,556 quintals of dried yolk, followed by the United States of America with 4,848 quintals. 6,231 quintals of moist and frozen yolk was exported to Great Britain and 3,530 quintals to Germany. Of dried mélange, Germany took 809 quintals and Belgium 181 quintals. In the trade in moist and frozen mélange, Great Britain again featured as the sole purchaser. Of fresh eggs in shell, 2,310 mille was shipped to Hongkong and 1,152 mille to Great Britain. The increase in the volume of pig intestines from 3,536 to 5,164 quintals was due to the growing demand from Germany and France. The American market evinced less interest in this article, as the Chinese product is inferior in quality to American hog casings.

Although beset by numerous difficulties, the local fur and skin export trade saw a fairly prosperous year. Shipments to the United States of America, the principal buyer of skins, recovered gradually from the depression prevailing in the previous year. Her purchases were the heaviest in fox skins (11,399 pieces), undressed goat skins (206,884 pieces), kid skins (699,792 pieces), kolinsky skins (19,364 pieces), lamb skins (281,854 pieces), marmot skins (43,013 pieces), weasel skins (159,811 pieces), and skin mats and rugs, not otherwise recorded (158,546 pieces). Japan continued to be the biggest purchaser of dog skins (66,888 pieces), dressed goat skins (25,770 pieces), hare and rabbit skins (351,169 pieces), and imitation moufflon skins (38,217 pieces). France showed much interest in goat- skin mats and rugs, of which she took 7,588 pieces.

The export of walnut kernels showed signs of renewed activity during the year under review, but the downward trend in walnuts in shell became all the

nore accentuated.

A spectacular increase was registered in medicinal substances, not otherwise recorded, which rose from $974,383 in 1938 to $3,038,326. Canada was the prin- cipal consumer of groundnuts in shell, taking 1,498 quintals of the total of 3,004 quintals, and Hongkong, as in the preceding year, took nearly 90 per cent of the 12,549 quintals of shelled groundnuts. Germany, as before, consumed a major part of apricot seed (12,488 quintals out of 22,609), while the small quantity of cotton seed exported was destined for the Kwantung Leased Terri- tory. Australia and America purchased 21,669 and 12,649 quintals of linseed respectively. Of sesamum seed, Japan purchased 17,175 quintals, or 90 per cent of the total.

Exports of coal during the year aggregated 68,758 metric tons, showing a decrease of some 32,000 metric tons as compared with 1938. Contrary to expec- tations, shipments to Japan fell from 84,384 metric tons in the previous year to 58,437 metric tons.

The cotton export trade during the year was a total failure. Of the year's exports, totalling only 24,240 as against 1,165,290 quintals, 12,322 quintals were shipped to the Kwantung Leased Territory and 10,807 quintals to Japan. The boom in 1938, it is to be noted, however, was of an incidental nature. The production of cotton in North China declined by 30 per cent to 40 per cent according to estimates made. The 1938-39 season's production was placed at 3,300,000 piculs, while the estimated demand amounted to no less than 4,900,000 piculs.

Of camels' wool. Great Britain took 161,668 kilogrammes and Germany 130,163 kilogrammes out of a total of 351,776 kilogrammes, while Great Britain's purchases of goats' wool, amounting to 162,670 kilogrammes, was also the hea- viest, with Japan following with 119,968 kilogrammes out of a total of 343,455 kilogrammes. The demand for these two articles was fairly strong throughout the year, but supplies coming into the port from the interior were far from

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