The evening times., 1898-12-08
AMERICA OUTSPRIPS
ALL Other NATIONS
Phenomenal Increase of the
Trade With China.
NOT AN ABNORMAL GROWTH
Custom House Loaded With Goods
From This Country.
Needs for Bank Representing
This Continent in the
Orient.
NOT AN Abnormal GROWTH

American trade in China is treated in an
interesting shape in the annual report of
United States Consul Fowler, at Chefoo,
State Department. He says there has
been marked increase in imports of ali
American goods into China and that the
gain is not an abnormal one. He adds:
Figures at hand not only prove that
imports of American merchandise are in
creasing on a sound basis, but that the
year 1897 shows phenomenal strides. The
statistics for the first six months OF this
year were especially obtained from the
custom house, and covering as they do
the months of January, February and
March, when traffic was ut its lowest-ow-
ing TO difficulties on Inland transportation.
the closing of the ports north Of here by
ice and the time when the political situa-
ton was very tense-they seem to show
that when the books for the year 1898
are balanced, the value OF American mer-
chandise imported here will lead all 9TH
ers. 1t will possibly equal, if not exceed,
the values for all Europe.
The value of American -four imported
during this period was greater than for
the combined years of 1894. 1895, 1886 and
1891. if we take the only fair standard
the customs tael. The gold value for the
four years (averaging the haikwan tael
for that period at 793 cents was $40, 1906,
against Sal, ,3s3.S (at 6S.5 cents for the
dullest six months Of the year 1895 This
is truly a wonderful increase. No doubt
the presence of the great military camps
of Russia. Great Britain. and Germany
in this vicinity have had considerable to
do with this increase. Further, this is the
first year that the customs reports for
Chefoo make mention of American -four
American ginseng also makes its first ap-
pearance this year This is all the more
remarkable, because hitherto Chefoo has
always been the entrepot for Korean GIN
seng entering China.
1t is also shown that in 1897 the i'm
ports of all our goods were four times az
large as those for 1893 excepting oil
which was 4 little more than doubled
that the imports for the first six months
Of this year exceeded those for the entire
years of 1899 and 1894 in the case of drills,
and i'm the case of jeans and sneetiug ev-
cry year excepting 1897.
'Of the seventy-siN classes of imports
enumerated in the table of imports for
1897, forty-siX show a gain over 1885,
twenty-five from gold standard countries.
Of which three are from Japan, four from
the United States, while the only gain
from England is cotton yarn. OF The thir-
ty-two decreases eight are from silver
standard countries and twenty-four from
gold stanard countries Of which Great
Britain tEngland and Indiab suffered loss
es In seven classes Russia, one; Japan
on.
(The value Of the foreign imports into
Chefoo in lS9. was j e25.04 haikwau taels
CSS, co.. 547 gold. while the value of thosa
goods specifically classed as Anne lean
was 2.Sl36S6 haikwan taels. or Sc OIL ,6S4. }
while this Is almost one-fOurth OF the
entire value of foreign imports. It is not
to be supposed that 1t represents all our
trade: for, as repeatedly stated in pre-
Vious reports the data for all the 9th ar
unenumerated American imports are not
obtainable In the customs classification
of foreign imports, the great majority
comes from HongkOng, Japan, and other
Asiatic countries: and there are many
classes of produce-opium, seawe d. etc
in which we do not compete. The va'us
OF Asiatic goods imported was 2157IIl
haikwan taels."
CThe value of imports into ChefoO in 1897
specified as American was almost ten
times greater than those specified as
from Great Britain)
The custom house ietty at Chefoo is
always crowded and piled high with
American merchandise" said the con-
sui "One of the greatest needs of the
American merchant is an American bank
in China. There is a large field for It,
and feel confident that If one of our
New York banking houses established n
branch in Shanghai, they would reap a
handsome reward. There are in China.
French, Russian, German and several
English banks; and it is through these
that all United States trade is conducteI, J,
involving a great loss to our commerce
| have hopes that ere long some one will
prove enterprising enough to enter this
field. There is none more profitable in
the world. The Hongkong and Shanghai
banks shares sell at 2l5 per cent premi-
um There Is also most promising
opening for fire insurance companies
1T may be of interest to know that the
total shipments TO the Philippines from
Shanghai in 1897 amounted to 1882 hak-
wan taels ts9,614). of which all but ,. 30l
haikwan taels Isl, 7O3) were from other
ports: while within twenty-four hours of
the receipt of orders to legalize invoices
for Manila, I certified invoices covering
straw braid for that city to the value of
= Al EhAf. 1n1C rDA