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“..................................................................................................8
Tables :—
Shipping ............................................................................................................9
Import in 1902-1901 ........................................................................................................10
Export „ ...............................................................................................................................13
Value of articles exported from and imported to Foochow in 1901-02 .... 14...”
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“...No. 3023. Annual Series.
Reference, to previous Report, Annual, Series No. 2850.
Report on the Trade of Foochovj for the Year 1902
By Me. Consul Playfair.
(Received at Foreign Office, June 4, 1903.)
The total trade of Foochow shows a serious decrease all round, Total trade,
a value of 2,364,4902. in 1902 contrasting with the 2,465,7452. of
1901 ; that is to say it has fallen off to the extent of over 100,0001.
The aspect is more especially serious when we come to compare
the shares taken in the totals by British and foreign goods. British
trade which, in 1901, amounted to 1,214,2572., fell in 1902 to
888,6742., a decrease of 325,5832., while foreign trade, on the con-
trary, advanced by 248,4822., viz., from 171,6412. to 420,1232. The
trade with Chinese ports remained fairly stationary, though even
here there was a falling-ofE of 24,1502.
British vessels continue to retain their pre-eminence as freight Shipping,
carriers. Here too, however, there is diminution in tonnage and
number...”
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“...cottons (174,764?. in 1902 as
against 217,458/. in 1901), grey and white shirtings and T-cloths
showing most change. British drills have advanced at the expense
of American, and Turkish-reds were worse by 1,000?. Indian yarns
were 12,000?. worse, while there has been a very large decrease in
yarn from Japan. ■■)
Woollens. Woollens were, on the whole, worse by nearly 8,000?., every item,
except Spanish stripes, showing a diminution.
Metals. There was a general shrinking in metals also. The value sank
by about 40,000?., of which 17,000?. was due to tin and over 10,000?,
to lead.
General. The demand for flour remained steady, but that for window
glass fell of. More machinery was imported by 3,300?., and there...”
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“...other cereals wheat nearly trebled in quantity and value.
Black tea was imported to the amount of 71,944 cwts., a great Tea.
advance on the 605 cwts. in 1901. To import tea into Foochow
seems very like bringing coals to Newcastle. Tea siftings appear
also in increased quantity in the customs tables, there being over
three times as much as in 1901.
Tea of all_tkinds (black, green, dust and brick) continues to ^sports,
bulk most largely among the exports, but the decadence of the trade Ten.
is witnessed by the diminution of value as compared with quantity.
A total amount of 40,926,928 lbs. left the port, as contrasted with
21,918,776 lbs.', or little more than half, in 1901, but the estimated
value 758,2161. in 1902, as against 722,239/. in 1901, speaks
eloquently of the poorness of the market it finds in Europe.
The only other article which is exported in a noticeable quantity General,
is bamboo shoots. They were sent from Foochow to the value of
58,7471., an advance of nearly 6,000?. on 1901...”
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“...6
FOOCHOW.
there was a diminished export, the quantity and value of planks
continued steady, but in poles and coffins there was a notable
reduction, the numbers being, for 1902, 560,873 pieces and 120,811/.,
as against 1,298,196 pieces and 71,675/. of the former m 1901;
while wood for coffins sank from 15,907/. and 5,163/. to 9,349/. and
2,768/. Kerosene cases, also, which in 1901 numbered 2,233,545
and were valued at 5,077/., were in 1902 only 600,949 valued at
2,561/.
Tea. The trade in tea has always been the life-blood of foreign com-
merce at Foochow. It has for many years been a decadent industry,
and on the causes of this decadence I animadverted in my trade
report for 1901. In that document I recommended British mer-
chants to make a bold bid for the retention of a market which ap-
peared to be slipping from them by imitating the tactics pursued
in Ceylon and India, or at least some of them. It was, I confessed,
hopeless to expect the native grower to adopt their improved
methods...”
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“...foochow.
11
Return of Principal Articles of Import into Foochow during the
Years 1902-1901—continued.
1902. 1901.
Articles. ---.-— ---------
Quantity. Value. Quantity. Value.
£ £
Foreign—contd.— •
Sundries—contd.—
Isinglass Cwts. .. 300 -0 1,461 -23 706 2,681
Lamps 2,706 -21 2,698
Machinery 6,130 -27 2,825
Matchwood, &c. .. .. 642 -1 1,073
Matches, Japanese.. Gross 216,593-0 6,439 -55 160,100 6,795
Mais, tea .. Pieces .. 1,232,350-0 5,544-89 1,481,250 7,822
Medicines, foreign.. 2,743 -39 385
„ native .. Cwts. .. 1,626-19 2,616 16 1,506 3,017
Mussels, dried 3,990 -37 6,427
Oil, kerosene—
American .. Gallons .. 470,273 -94 7,692 -22 10,210 223
Borneo ,1 97,960-0 1,655 -11 . 97,960 1,836
Japanese . .139,400 2,735
Russian .761,945 30,136
Sumatra >j • ■ 2,445,700 -0 35,719 -19 1,642,455 36,553
Paper Cwts. .. 634-53 1,218 -3 619 270
,, tin » 244 -05 551 "59 1,061 2,842
Personal effects 1,158-3 1,435
Prawns Cwts. . . 926 -18 2,205 -21 --951...”
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“...12
FOOCHOW.
Return of Principal Articles of Import into Foochow during the
Years 1902-1901—continued.
Articles. 1902. 1901.
Quantity. Value. Quantity. Value.
£ £
Native—cor.td. — •
Flour, Shanghai mill.. Cwts. .. 611 230.
Fungus .. .. .J 2,488 10 5,461 -55 1,796 7,487
Hemp ..j 8,153 57 9,628 58 12,061 15,039
Indigo, liquid.. „ ..! 18,325 09 10,112 "96 17,021 11,695
Leather strips ..; 101 19 1,172 '60 64 1,614
Lily flowers .. 3,495 23 4,688'84 4,561 6,620
Medicines „ .. 11,994 04 17,847-05 8,193 15,654
Opium, native „ ..j 1,200 0 49,537-77 1,176 54,465
Paper .. ,, .. i 365 47 423 54 88 1,266
Pears and apples .. „ ..' 7,540 4.7 5,532 -80 6,936 5,558
Rice .. „ .. 51,630 95 17,970-16 125,833 40,550
Seeds, melon .. 3,732 14 3,958-11 4,013 4,869
Silk piece-goods .. 419 04 23,452-78 433 27,325
„ raw yellow „ ..: 372 62 10,487 -88 261 7,369
„ ribbons .. „ ..1 60 71 3,860-87 65 4,757
„ miscellaneous „ ..j 54 76 169-78 19 655
S ugar, candy „ 256 43 208-53 1...”
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“...FOOCHOW. 13
Table III.—Return of Principal Articles of Export during the
Years 1902-1901.
Articles. 1902. 1901.
Quantity. Value. Quantity, Value.
Bamboo shoots Cwts. .. 95,578 57 £ 58,747 13 79,635 £ 52,993
„ ware.. >J • • 1,582 14 2,013 7 1,201 1,746
Clams, dried .. .. »» • • 901 76 1,927 3 900 2,167
Coal...... Tons 622 0 574 2 1,251 1,304
Feathers Cwts. .. 1,115 47 312 78 1,219 2,254
Lung Ngans, dried .. >» ■ • 6,247 72 6,651 9 7,982 14,632
Matches (local make) G-ross ,. 15,650 0 3,662 0 187,050 6,574
Medicincs Cwts. .. 5,457 15 4,066 33 4,867 3,768
Mushrooms ,, ,. J» • 2,357 15 12,546 1 774 3,702
Oil, tin ti * ' 3,428 57 3,044 2 2,127 2,577
Olives, fresh ,. 8,914 28 2,192 3 29,546 7,159
Oranges „ )l • • 42,229 86 8,356 53 70,863 11,819
Paper .. 44,444 04 32,350 37 40,130 26,424
„ J 033 »> • 22,361 90 52,773 16 19,100 46,825
Plums, dried .. || • • 6,221 53 5,228 47 5,007 3,878
Potash.. 2,257 14 1,326 39 5,574 2,058
Potatoes 35,203 58 2,989 87 38,349 5,231
Preserves »»...”
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“...14
FOOCHOW.
Table IV.—Showing Value of all Articles Exported from and
Imported to Foochow from or to Foreign Countries and
Chinese Ports during the Years 1901-02.
Country. Imports, Exports.
1901. 1902 1901. 1902.
British possessions Other countries .. .. ., Total foreign countries .. Total foreign countries and Chinese ports £ 766,804 60,767 £ 661,844 89,256 £ 447,453 120,874 £ 226,830 330,867
817,575 601,805 751,100 568,327 543,333 478,038 557,697 512,360
1,419,380 1,294,433 1 1,046,365 1,070,057
Notb.—Exchange : 1 Haikuan tael = 2s. 7itd....”
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