The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-03-11
OUR TRADE In MANCHURIA
The Consumption of American Cot
tons and Oils Increasing.
More Thnn Half n Million Pieces of
American Drills Entered Nieu
ChwanG in ISo9-very Heavy Ex-
ports to China Generally Reported.

ChwanG in IS09-Nery Heavy En-
| ports to China Generally Reported
! The Importance of Manchuria as q
/ market for american goods is presented
in some figures which the Treasury Blu
reau of Statistics has compiled from the
! latest official reports of the Chinese Gov
eminent. The fact that Manchuria has
/ of late been looked upon as n rapidly
| growing market for American goods
| coupled with the suggestion that it Is
/ likely to pass permanently under Russian
! control, adds to the interest of these
! figures.
! The official figures of the Chinese Gov
| eminent scarcely seem to justify some OF
! the estimates which have been made re
| gardng the value of the commerce of
this particular section of that country.
| Its population-75O 800, 0O0-is less than per
cent of the total population of China, and
| its density of population about 20 per
| square mile, against an average of
/ about 300 per square mile in what is Ordi-
narily known as China proper, Manchuria
| being usually classed as a dependency and
not part of the compact. central terri
| tory known as the eighteen provinces of
| China proper
foreign commerce enters Manchuria is
the port of Nieu Chwang. Its total i'm
ports from foreign countries and Hong
kong in 1899. the latest date for which
figures are available, were valued in the
official returns at 5,279,1S5 Haikwan taels,
and its imports OF foreign goods brought
from other Chinese ports, 1885, 13 Hal
kwan taels, making the total value of
foreign goods received during the year
p, S45.59S HaIkwan taels, or S15.974 300. the
value Of the Haikwan tael being officially
given at the date of the issuance of the
report in question at 70 cents American
gold at the average sight exchange on
New York.
The total imports into all China in the
same year amounted to 264748,455 Hal
kwan taels, or S193. &c., 300, making the
total value of imports of foreign goods
into Nieu Chwang either direct from for
eign countries from other Chinese
ports, less than 10 per cent of the total
imports of foreign goods into China in
that year In cotton goods and kerosene
oil, however, the American producers are,
according to the report of the customs
officer in charge, gaining rapidly in the
share which they are able to supply of
the total consumption.
The entry of 5s4,ST7 pieces of Ameri-
can. drills. valued at 2,O23,6 i6 Haikwan
taels,," says the report of the customs
officer shows the firm hold these goods
have on the market, they having increas-
ed ten-fold in as many years. American
sheetings are even more sought after,
over 1,1O0OO0 pieces having come in,
valued at 3910,916 Haikwan taels. The
Importation of American cotton flannel
quadrupled in comparison with the total
for preceding years. American kerosene
oil has leaped from 10000 gallons to
2.2S go gallons, and Russian kerosene oil
from 5000 gallons to 2O5,O0O gallons,
though great as is this growth the con-
sumption is small in comparison with the
district fed but there is a strong COM
petitor in the native vegetable oils.
An examination of the detailed state
ment of imports into Nieu Chwang COM
pared with those into other ports shows
that of the 1,6i6, lOl pieces of American
drills received in China from the United
States and HongkOng, 5S,SV pieces, or
IS per cent, finally found their way to
Nieu Chwang. practically all of this hay
ing entered China at Shanghai and was
thence reshipped to Nieu Chwang. OF the
4.CJO,0u pieces of American sheetings en-
tering China in 1893, l0l, $50 pieces or q
per cent finally reached Nieu Chwang,
and Of the l26323 pieces Of American jeans
Nieu Chwang. OF the 90, 295, 0SS gallons of
American kerosene oil imported into
China, 2,2S2,060 gallons, or about 6 per
cent found its way to Nieu Chwang,
either as a direct import or reimporta
ton from other ports.
An accurate determination of the pro-
portion of American exports to China
" hich finally reach Manchuria is i'm
Nieu Chwang only specify the country of
origin in the case of cotton goods and
kerosene oil. In each of those items the
value given at Nieu Chwang is apparently
considerably in excess of that named
when the goods leave the United States
or reach China. since they, In most cases,
go first to Hongkong and Shanghai, and
when reshipped to Nieu Chwang carry the
additional charges Of the importers, ship
pers, and freight-carriers. while a de-
termination of the proportion by guam
tity of the cotton GOODS is impracticable
because of the fact that the Chinese Of
fetal statement is given in pieces vary
ing in length, and our statement of ex-
ports is in yards. comparison of the
figures of the port Of Nieu Chwang with |
those OF the other ports Of China, how
ever. seems to indicate that about 30 per !
cent of the cotton goods end per cent of |
the kerosene oil sent from the United |
States to China and HOngkong find their |
way to Manchuria. The value of cotton |
goods from the United States to China |
and HOngkong in 1899, was Sl03SS. i69. and /
assuming that 80 per cent reaches Man |
churia, would give the value of our ex- |
ports of cotton goods to Manchuria al !
S. lOl $50 The value of kerosene oil eX- |
ported from the United States to China !
and Hongkong in 1899 was 50. 95s, 467, and !
assuming that per cent of this reaches /
would give S23I sos. as the eX- !
ports OF American oil reaching that ter !
ritory. The other exports from the Uni |
ted States to China and Hongkong. eX- !
elusive of cotton goods and kerosene Oil, !
amounted to IS 726. on of which ii Is es- |
tirnated that less than 2,OOO.O 600 reached |
NIanchuria, making the total value of
our 1888 exports to China and HOngkOng
which reached the markets of Manchuria
about s.. Goa. OJ0 or % per cent of the total
Of s23 Ol3. Ol2. exported from the United
States to China and Hongkong in that