The age-herald., 1900-10-29
AMERICAN TRADE
 RELATIONS EAST Methods Employed in Export and Import Business.
CUSTOMS OF THE ORIEN TAILS
Alfred Hart Writes from the Abundant r Stores of His Experience and In
 formation-B n-Birmingham's
 Future Rich Field

MT. Allied I. Hart, who is now in Bir- mingham representing the American Ex- porter, a journal printed in Spanish and English, writes to the Age-Herald the fol- lowing interesting letter relative to Ameri- can trade relations with the East:
 ''The methods employed in the export and import trade with China and Japan greatly differ from existing conditions with other countries, and some details in this direc- tion may prove of interest to our manu- lecturers unfamiliar with these large mar kets of the East
 Prior to the treaty conditions with Ja- pan, which became effective with all the powers during July of last year, the for eign merchants were not permitted to di- recty trade in the interior, and even now all business with foreign countries is con- ducted at the three ports of Yokohama, Kobe and Nagasaki, at which places nearly all nationalities are represented with local merchandising firms
 '"rhe foreign merchant in Japan is little more than a commission merchant and sell dom imports on his own account, but only orders such goods as may have been sold through samples to the native merchants. These merchants are dependent upon the Intermediary efforts of their Bantos or na- tive clerks ,and completely at the mercy of these employees. Outside of the port towns comparatively few Japanese speak English, and it Is quite unusual to find any one of the four thousand foreign residents of the country who have sufficient knowledge, of the Japanese language to conduct business negotiations, without the assistance of an interpreter therefore the position of the Banto is an ideal one for the interruptions native.
 "The average Japanese merchant does not respect terms of contract business engagements, nor is the value of time a consideration with them; in fact, general procrastination appears to be the greatest characteristic of these people. Notwith- standing the marked advancement of Japan as nation, the native merchants through their proverbial business faults, have greatly affected their commercial relations with the outside world, and few manu- lecturers of experience with them, either in this country or in Europe twill deal with the Japanese except through the channels of the foreign merchants who become re- sponsible parties between the native and home manufacturers. The foreign mer chants in Japan generally import merchant disc on a basis of 2h per cent commission on the home cost of such goods ordered of them, and few of these local firms will make contract or accept an order from Japanese dealer, irrespective of his finan- cal standing unless 20 per cent, which is termed bargain money, is deposited as soon as the order or contract Is signed, and never do they surrender goods until full payment is covered by the native. AL though the foreign merchant takes all pos sible precautions in accepting orders from the natives, still many of these firms have been ruined through Japanese declining to accept goods after their arrival, claiming they were not up to the sample and so on and this has noticeably been the case when the market has turned to d point not suiting the natives financial ends, al- though in the first instance such goods may not have been ordered at a season able moment. The foreign merchants who may have such unhappy experiences with their native customers, seldom take their cases to court, as experience has taught them that they cannot expect proper re- dress, and further than this, the Japanese dealers have a combination amongst them selves which would operate against the
 
 attempt to expose the trickery of the willy Jap.' The merchant who has goods left on his hands in this manner has difficulty to secure cost for same There Is only limited number of dealers in each particu- lar line of merchandise ,and when it is dis covered that a foreign merchant has goods rejected and on his hands, these dealers agree amongst themselves only to buy at prices they decide upon, which usually cover a more substantial reduction than the 25 per cent. bargain money originally in the hands of the importer. The importer finding no other outlet for such merchan- disc is frequently forced to sell to one of these natives at the prices offered by this combination of dealers, who then divide the stock amongst themselves. These tricky methods are common and of every day occurrence in local trading with the Japanese.
 Imports from Japan
 None of our large importers of Japanese merchandise deal directly with the native manufacturers, and in recent years those who have attempted to do away with the mddeman and inaugurate direct transac- tions have paid dearly for their experience, as the Japanese have proven themselves just as dishonest in selling as they are in buying goods. Most of our large import houses, who deal in Japanese wares, send their buyers to Japan to select their goods; but the shipment and inspection of same are generally placed in the hands ef established foreign firms, who find it neces- sary to most carefully inspect and check every article before sending same forward. Although the Japanese are aware of the critical inspection and checking of their goods before they leave the country, still 1t is more common than otherwise to dis cover an attempt to palm off inferior goods; boxes supposed to contain dozen silk