Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-07-07
OUR TRADE WITH CHINA.
Most of the Increased Imports of That
Country Are From United states.

Based on official reports, United States
Consul Fowler, at Chefoo, China, gives
some figures to show the enormous amount
of the trade between the United States and
China, in spite of the rebellious and other
disturbances in that country. Last year
the United States stood alone among non
Asiatic countries in the column of gains
over 1897; it exceeded by over 100000
taels the value of its sales for 1895, while
Great Britain lost quite 100000 taels in
value since 1896. Altogether there was a
balance of trade in our favor of over 5000,
600 last year.
Consul Fowler has compiled the follow
ing table showing the trade of China for
1898:
Country. Imports. Exports.
United States. ........... 81 81 $3.50 SS31S,S19
Great Britain. ........... "a 1885, 7,436,S1
Continent of Europe. includ-
ing all the Russias. Z. 139, 4O5 30 346, 760
japan, excluding Formosa 156I1,1IS 1886, 632
Eongkons. 37e 10 esS G 93s
forHioS' o-oSo,L ,ooS
All the rest Of the world. sl4s,9S6 90oG,043
The Chinese imports from the various
countries of the world for 1898 are COM
pared with those in 1897 in the following
table:
United 6Sp2 States 49, 1884 s,l iss 1893
Great Britain. ........... 29,571,519 "a, 263, 957
Continent of Europe, nclud
ing all Russia, European 500 $50
Japan, excluding Formosa la.sooooo i2oad'l aS
1ongkaiig oo,ooo o,o o. 100, .'cS
All the rest Of the world. 1i.o9497s s096o4;
Consul Fowler remarks:
THE above table shows That OF non
Asiatic countries or divisions the United
States stands alone in the column of gains
over 1897 it exceeded by over 100000
taels the value of it's sales In 1870 while
Great Britain has lost quite 1o,0oo,ooo taels
in value since 1886 The value of the
United States sales exceeded by $4,171 1874
the combined sales of all Europe and all
the Russias In my report VII! be found a
table in which l shows that the value OF
United States exports to China was greater
in 1897 than that of all continental Europe
and the Russias, European and Asiatic, by
$500 291. In 1898 the figures rose to SILL
934, as shown above.
Under the heading All the Rest of the
World are included Singapore and Straits,
Australia, New Zealand, etc, South Africa,
including Nautilus; British America, South
China, Tonkin and IAnam, Siam, Java and
Sumatra, Turkey in Asia, Persia, Egypt,
Algiers, Alden, &C. and Corea.
"A good percentage OF the trade credited
to Great Britain belongs to the United
States, as, for instance, all shipments from
Atlantic ports to China via England. Our
entire trade Spossibly excepting little OF
the OLD with the ports OF CHINA south OF
Shanghai is carried on through Hongkong.
The customs returns state that the imports
from Hongkong come originally from and
the exports to that colony are further car
ried on to Great Britain. America. Aus
traiia, India, the Straits. &c, yet the fig
ures are credited to Great Britain, and it
is this fact which gives the statisticians
| their cue, for according to Great Britain
her tremendous Lead. as they state that she
| does IS per cent of the trade.
"At this writing 1t Is Impossible to learn
| the actual value of. our trade in north
| China but it can be safely put down as at
| least two-thirds of the entire value for all
China. 1t is known that ~ per cent OF our
cottons are taken by Chefoo, Tientsin and
| Niuchwang. The total value of imports of
| American cottons into China were 10, 056, $40
| haikwan taels (s6, $50, 1000; of American oil,
| 1877 922 haikwan taeis (s4,717, 1881; of which
| Niuchwang, Tientsin and Chefoo took so
| per cent cottcns. valued at $3.50, 143 haik-
/ van taels (s6,211, 800, and at least 20 per
] cent (estimated) of the oil, 1,359, 5S4 haikwan