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“...CONTENTS.
—
Page
Gtobs seaborne traffic......................................................................................................................................................................................3
Net value of trade .......................................................................................................3
Direct trade with foreign countries........................................................................................................................................4
„ „ the United Kingdom aud British dependencies................................4
Imports—
Opium...........................................................................................................................4
Cotton goods ................................................................................................................................................4
Rico..........................................................................................”
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“...(Reoeived at Foreign Offioe, July 27, 1903.)
In the following report the average exchange for the year is
taken at 2s. 7Id., against 2s. 11M to the Haikwan tael in the
previous year.
The gross value of cargo carried in sea-going vessels of foreign Gross
type coming under the cognisance of the Imperial Maritime Customs
amounted to 3,357,7731., as compared with a total of 3,308,651?.
for the previous year.
i Excluding re-exports, consisting mainly of Formosan tea value of
transhipped here en route to foreign countries and Hong-Kong, trade,
the net values of the trade of the port were as follows ;—
Both imports and exports generally show a falling-off, and the
apparent increase is more than made up by the increased importa-
tion of rice and opium, these two items alone accounting for an
additional import value of 360,219?., viz., opium 67,100Z. and rice
293,119?. Owing to the exceptional drought the early rice harvest
was very poor, and during the spring and summer months plague
and cholera prevailed...”
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“...4
AMOY.
quarter of the town and entailed a partial suspension of business
for over three weeks. General loss resulted and very few business
men made money during the year.
Direct trade The value of the direct trade with foreign countries was
lou^He?11 2,579,612?., including re-exports 550,035?., almost double the value
of the exports. Of this total the trade with the United Kingdom
and British dependencies amounted to 1,286,13]?., nearly the
whole of which was with Hong-Kong and Singapore, as shown in
Annex 3.
Opium. Owing to the failure of the native opium crop, the importation
of foreign opium of all sorts rose in 1902 to 464,838 lbs., valued at
283,990?., as compared with an import of 337,517 lbs., value
246,625?., during the previous year. The increase was con-
fined to Persian, of which there were large stocks in Hong-
Kong at the beginning of the year. Prices showed an
improvement of about 100 dol. per chest on those of 1901, but
the ruinous rate of exchange practically took away...”
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“...the export trade is neces-
sarily confined to a very limited area near the treaty port. The
only important items are sugar, paper and a little tobacco. These
three items account for 137,360?. of the total export value of
290,750?., the balance being made up by a variety of articles ex-
ported for the consumption of Chinese in the Straits.
Of sugar the total export during 1902 was 118,538 cwts., valued Sugar,
at 65,240?., against 159,830 cwts., value 85,220?., in the previous
year. On the other hand paper of first and second quality in-
creased in value from 40,825?. to 55,740?.
Camphor appeared in the customs returns as a separate item c.implior
for the first time in 1901 when 25,466 lbs., value 1,166?., were
exported. This year the production has risen to 55,033 lbs., value
1,720?., and with a little fostering there is no doubt this commodity
might in time become a most valuable article of trade. In June
the provincial authorities established a Government Bureau for
the control of the...”
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“...transit trade, both inwards and outwards, is comparatively
insignificant, barely 10 per cent, of foreign goods being sent inland
under transit pass. The chief items are yarn, value 48,915Z.,
and kerosene, value 20,349£. The total number of inward passes
taken out during the year was 4,008, of which 1,617 were issued to
British merchants.
The total value of goods brought down from the interior under
outward transit pass was only 60,676£., more than half consisting
of sugar (brown, white and candy) from the Changchow and Tung Au
districts; 440 outward transit passes were surrendered during the
year, of which 239 had been issued to British merchants.
The following table shows the comparative value of foreign
goods sent inland and native produce brought down to the port
under transit pass during the last three years :—
Value.
1900. 1901. 1902.
Inward £ 139,102 40,039 £ 172,774, 49,246 £ 132,299 60,676
No complaints were made during the year of interference with
goods under inward transit...”
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“...8
AMOY.
The only serious competitor of British shipping is the Japanese
with 440 steamers and sailing vessels, total tonnage 380,415 tons,
Subsidies to a slight reduction. These steamers running on the Hong-Kong-
Japanese Formosa and Hong-Kong-Foochow lines, calling at Amoy and
coist Swatow, received Government subsidies amounting in all to over
steamers. 200,000 dol. for the year.
Of the total value of the foreign and coast trade, roughly 64
per cent, was carried in British vessels, 20 per cent, by Japanese,
4 per cent, by Chinese and 4 per cent, by German vessels, the
balance being dvided among the vessels of five other nationalities.
Inland Under inland steam navigation rules there were entered and
naTigaiion. clearec[ a total of 10,171 steam launches of a tonnage of 285,336 tons,
as compared with 8,952 entries and clearances of 286,756 tons in
1901. These were divided as follows :—
Total Entered and Cleared.
Nationality. Number of Vessels. Tons.
British ........ 4,771 127,536...”
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“...AMOY".
0
In conclusion, acknowledgments are due to the Commissioner
of Customs for his courtesy in allowing access to his returns before
publication and to those who have furnished notes on various
branches of the trade here.
Annex 1.—Return of Principal Articles of Export from Amoy
during the Years 1902 -1901.
1902. 1901.
Articles.
Quantity. Value. Quantity. Value.
Brick and tiles ......... Pieces 4,481,139 £ 5,210 3,930,568 £ 5,141
Camphor ............ Lbs. 55,033 1,720 25,466 1,166
Fishing nets ......... ,, ... 91,867 4,460 75,733 4,217
Flower roots ......... Pieces 1,637,000 4,300 1,940,458 5,069
Gold thread............ LbB. 24,137 4,110 8,400 934
Lung-ngans (dried) ...... ii ],260,667 9,220 837,667 5,775
Paper ............ it ••• 5,37s,267 55,740 5,950,000 40,825
Preserves............ ii 739,333 6,490 617,806 6,170
Pruneloes (fresh)......... it 3,474,800 3,520 2,151,866 2,733
Samshu ............ 1,051,833 9,950 888,667 9,615
Sugar—
Brown ..........”
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“...10
AMOY.
Ektuiin of Principal Articles of Import into Amoy during the
Years 1902-1901—continued.
1902. 1901.
ATtlClCB.
Quantity. Value. Quantity. Value.
£ £
Metals—
Tin slabs ... Lbs. 635,600 25,880 905,600 52,960
,, plates n ••• 670,400 4,710 1,047,733 6,907
Quicksilver ii 24,933 2,660 32,133 4,110
Sundries—
BGche-dc-mer ......... ii 973,067 10,100 687,333 11,130
Birds' nests ......... 11 6,585 9,700 4,972 4,500
Coal ............ Tons 13,724 9,710 10,799 10,815
Aniline dyes ......... 2,040 2,260
Fish, dried and salt ...... Lbs.'" ... 3,000,400 20,060 4,860,000 34,405
Flour ............ ii ••• 20,760,533 71,900 26,921,733 106,385
Ginseng—
Corean............; ,, 2,207 4,690 2,933 6.98.1
American classified......1 ,, ... 15,333 17,370 18,400 26,204
Horns, deer .........! ,, 2,365 1,5S0
Leather............| ,, 114,000 3,390 178,933 '^220
Lily flowers, dried ...... ,, ... 489,067 4,460 446,933 5,850
Matches, Japanese ...... Gross £95,347 18,206...”
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“...AMOY,
n
Annex 3.—Table showing Total Value of all Articles Exported
from and Imported into Amoy to and from Foreign Countries
during the Years 1902-1901.
Country. Exports. Imports.
1902. 1901. 1902. 1901.
United Kingdom Singapore and Straits United Stntee Continent of Europe (Russia excepted) Japan Formosa .. .. Philippine Islands Cochin-China, Tonkin and Annam Siam British America £ 7 17,844 83,313 191 41,013 10,363 4,350 12,843 38,182 £ 20 17,831 71,972 901 50,378 11,588 3,499 14,237 34,587 43 £ 8 977,722 170,701 11,054 191 9,274 538,104 596 39,343 84,545 8,9g3 £ 1,035,711 110,763 12,431 463,658 581 12,350 10,716 22
Total 208,109* 205,056 1,840,501 1,646,232
* Gross export, including re-export of native produce, 19,031z.
Summary.
Value.
Imports from foreign countries ,. .. „ Chinese ports and Corea £ 1,840,501 11,514
Total foreign imports 1,852,015
He-exports to foreign countries .. .. „ Chinese ports 631,001 11,954
Total foreign re-exports.. 542,955...”
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