China : Report for the year 1902 on the trade of Swatow

Search this document:

Your search within this document for '<%VALUE%>' resulted in nine matching pages.

1		“...CONTENTS, page Necessity of comparing returns on a silver valuation .................................... Dccrcase in gold value of trade ....................................................................••■ Bulk of trade, import and export, essentially Chinese ................................................................:'> The Svratow coolie as emigrant ..................................................................... Commercial position of Swatow contrasted with other treaty ports ........................t Increase in import of rice............................................................................................................................................................4 Decrease in articles of foreign import ................................................................................................................5 Cotton goode .........................................................................................................................”

2		“...in which the gradual fall in the gold value of silver during the first half of the year, followed by a sudden drop towards the end of November, has exercised a marked influence on the trade. As far as the exports are concerned it would appear from the report on the general trade of China, issued by the Statistical Department of the Chinese Customs, that the values adopted by the Maritime Customs, which are calculated on a silver basis, are in many instances estimated at too low a figure. A comparison of the statistics for the past 10 years shows that the Decrease in ' gross trade of Swatow has steadily increased from 1893 onwards ™lue °f until it reached its maximum value in 1899 ; since this date, although the value expressed in taels has remained practically stationary, there has been a gradual decrease in the sterling value, the present year showing a diminution of nearly 1,000,000?., or about 15 per cent., of the total trade, in the gold value as compared with the record year. At the...”

3		“...position of .Swatow con- trasted with otlier treaty ports. Swatow still keeps its position as fifth among the China treaty- ports in the net value of its trade, being far ahead of the somewhat similarly situated ports of Amoy, Foochow and Ningpo, and only surpassed by Shanghai, Tientsin, Hankow and Canton. These latter have, however, gained considerably during the year under review, and the failure of Swatow to advance pari passu with its rivals must be ascribed partly to the disorganisation of the nor- mal conditions of trade caused by the expectation of severe drought, and partly to the vagaries of exchange. The following figures show the gross annual trade for the past decade and the trade for the last three years divided into imports of foreign and native origin, exports and re-exports :— Table showing Gross Trade during the Years .1893-1902. O O Value. Average IUtc Year. - of Exchange. Currency. Sterling. • Taels. £ tl. 1893........ 24,538,711 4,831,070 « 11:1 1894........ 20,336...”

4		“...necessary to import rice from Saigon and Bangkok supple- mentary to the usual import of native rice. The figures showing the import of foreign and native rice for the years 1901-02 are as follows :— Articles. 1901. 1902. Q.uantity. Value. Quantity. Value. Foreign rice Native ,, Total Tons. 1,619 97,198 £ 9,818 571,623 Tons. 63,092 159,844 £ 362,655 971,766 98,817 ■581,441 222,936 1,334,421 Unfortunately for the importers their expectation of excessive drought was not altogether realised. The first local crop was a failure, but in November it was followed by an abundant harvest. The price accordingly fell rapidly and the importers sustained very heavy losses, still further dislocating the trade of the port. From this it will be seen if the value of the rice imported from Decrease in foreign countries is neglected, imports of foreign origin only &rh<;le8 of amounted to 1,513,0652. against 2,051,4062. in the previous year, import, a decrease of roughly 25 per cent., which is rather...”

5		“...opposition to the tax, have succeeded in obtaining its withdrawal, at any rate for the present. Export of The staple export of the port has always been sugar, which is sllSnalmost entirely sent to the northern and Yangtse ports. The decrease in value during the present year is due partly to the drought, and partly to a smaller market owing to the increase in the import of beet sugar in those ports that have hitherto been supplied from Swatow. I am informed that in consequence land, that was formerly used for the cultivation of sugar, is gradually being diverted for the growth of fruit and vegetables, for which the climate of Swatow is eminently suitable. Distribution The following table shows the distribution of exports :— of exports. Value. £ Straits Settlements .. .. 206,907 89,245 Cochin China 92,136 Formosa .. .. .. 17,860 Java 3,670 226,744 Chinese ports .. .. 886,062 Total ........ 1,522,824 Of the exports to foreign countries the bulk is intended for the use of the Chinese...”

6		“...8 swatow. In conclusion, I would express my thanks to the Commissioner of Customs for his courtesy in allowing me access to the returns, and to Mr. T. W. Richardson, of the firm of Messrs. Bradley and Co., for his kindness in giving me a report on the chief features of the trade, which I found of particular value....”

7		“...SWATOW. 9 Table I.—return of Principal Articles of Net Import into Swalow during the Years 1901-02. Articles. 1901. 1902. Quantity. Value. Quantity. Value. Foreign imports- Opium— Mnlwa Patn'i Benares ... Persian ... Lbs. n 232,397 249,359 100,831 922 £ 227,888 175,540 71,600 639 268,000 271,731 04.B00 21,460 £ 200,635 166,090 58,136 13,316 Tulul „ 013,509 475,727 055,999 411,077 Cotton goods— Shirtings, grey...... ,, whirc „ dyed,

8		“...10 swatow. Table II.—Retukn of Principal Articles of Export from Swatow during the Years 1901-02 (including lie-exports). 1901. 1902. Articles. Quantity. Value. Quantity. Value. £ £ Bags, gunny Pieces 1,903,307 11,265 2,683,599 14,175 Beans and peas CwtB... 43,050 13,325 61,582 16,900 Chinaware 22,552 11,180 24,052 13,027 Cloth, native 74,884 57,912 Clothing 15,795 16,372 Feathers 3.908 5,766 Fire-evackers 6,368 5,638 Fish...... 1,691 1,723 Flour, potato Cwts... 62,444 18,438 46,346 12,119 Grass cloth.. 8,120 85,106 7,488 78,381 Hair, human 3,675 4,838 Hemp Cwts... 33,429 28,263 55,165 48,165 Indigo »> * • 79,844 26,984 58,151 18,158 Medicines 7,697 5,422 Oil, bean Cwt;>... 66,272 75,486 36,201 39,170 Oranges y> ' • 212,691 42,833 175,853 30,689 Paper jj 170,958 236,574 163,626 206,648 Provisions 3,200 3,288 Samshu Cwts.. . 20,216 19,239 19,271 14,993 Sugar— Brown >» 969,526 413,901 762,219 288,330 White 681,188 445,541 534,536 307...”

9		“...swatow. 11 Table III.—Keturn comparing the Values of 1902 with the Average of the Years 1898-1902. Value. Articles. Average, Five Years 1902. 1898-1902. £ £ Foreign imports — Cotton 681,937 501,619 Opium 476,864 441.,077 Kerosene.. 83,641 57,532 45,521 Flour 55,681 Woollens . 23,335 19,82t Metals 102,711 99,16 L Native imports— Bean take and beans 1,053,880 864,471 Native opium 57,957 57,958 Rice (inclusive of import Jroni foreign countries) 852,118 1,334,421 Exports— Cloth, nalive S6.750 57,912 Grass cloth 73,305 78,381 Sugar 875,167 595,547 Tobacco 113,406 ■ 84,425 Paper 186,071 206,648 Table IV.—Return of all Steamers ancl Steam Launches at the Port of Swatow during the Years 1901-02 (Entered and Cleared). Steamers. 1901. 1902. Nationality. Number of Vessels. Tons. Number of Vessels. Tons. American Austro-Hungarian British Chinese Danish Dutch...... German Japanese Norwegian Swedish.. 18 2 1,420 12 2 16 304 391 8 6 19,614 2,634 1,585,246 8,670 3,33 G 19...”