The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1904-05-20
cHlNA's FOREIGN TRADE.

The foreign trade OF the Chinese EN-
pire in 1903 surpassed all previous rec
ords; the total was Sal. 100000 haikwan
taels, or ss46. 200, 900. The annual re-
port of the inspector-general of Gus
/ toms for the Chinese Empire, which
has just been received by the Bureau
OF Statistics. of the Department OF
Commerce and Labor, shows that the
| imports in 1903 were valued at 326,739.-
600 haikwan taeIs, and exports at ia
| 352. 900 hafkwan taels. At the value OF
"a cents American gold, which is stated
ais the average exchange for the ySsstT,
the equivalent values are: Imports,
sos, liz, 600, and exports, $1S7,fS5 ,00o As
compared with former years the total
trade is almost exactly double what it
was a decade ago. but only a little
more than q per cent greater than in
1902. Imports exceed those of the
previous year by about per cent,
while the total value of exports is
practically the same.
Harvests in China were abundant
last year and helped to recoup the
losses from flood and drought and war
in the years just preceding. The silk
crop in Mid-China, however, is report
ed as a disastrous failure, and affected
adversely the balance of export bust
ness. Forty years ago half the ex-
ports consisted Of silk and silk prod
ucts, while now this item is only 80
per cent of the total. The value of
exports of all kinds of silk, except
piece goods, fell from 1882 900 haik-
wan taeIs in 1902 to 81. 1875. 900 haikwan
taels in 1908; the export value of silk |
piece goods, however, increased from |
100000 haikwan taels to 1906, 600. |
Tea shows the greatest increase in ex-
ports. Not only did the quantity in |
crease, but the prices realized are
higher. SO that the 1908 export value
was &c, s34, 900 haikwan taeIs as conn
pared with 1-s millions less in the
preceding year Owing to increased
demand from America, export of mat
tings Increased from a.ses,oOO haikwar>
taels to 4,14e,0o0 haikWan taels.
The article of import in which the
largest increase is found is opium,
which increased over eight million
taels, to a value of 4s,Ss1,oOo haikwarl
taels in 1903 Metals. including manus
features OF iron and copper, increased
So. per cent to Is. 900 taeis; and there
were also imported railway supplies to
the amount of nearly 100000 taels.
American kerosene decreased largely
in quantity and to some extent in
value also: it's value is now nearly
eqilaled and its quantity is exceeded by
oil, imports of which, in
1902. amounted to less than half the
value of the American product inn
ported. Imports of Russian kerosene
also nearly doubled The value of the
American kerosene amounted to $780,
600 taels. the. Russian to 2,SS2,oO0 and
the Sumatran to 6,62e. 900.
Coed crops are responsible for the
large diminution in rice imports, which
was less than a third of the 1902 inn
portation of %, SOC, 600 hafkwah taels.
Foreign -four also fe,,. off q million
taels, or about one-fourth, its place
being taken by the product Of recently
established mills grinding Chinese
wheat. Imports of cotton yarn in /
creased, while plain fabrics fell from /
Is, OLE, 900 pieces to 1885, 900 pieces, and I
fancy goods increased but slightly;
cotton yarn increased from 1926, 400. 900 |
pounds to s65. OCT, 900 pounds For many
years the cotton goods sold to China !
consisted mainly of woven fabrics. In
1872 the import of yarns constituted
only per cent of the total cotton
goods imported, but last year it was
80 per cent It is stated that now /
over so per cent of the cotton goods
are made in that country. This in
crease in the importation of yarn and /
of home manufacture from yarn is ap-
parently one of the causes of the gen.
eral decrease in the importation Of cot
ton cloths. Japanese fabrics are the
only ones in which increased imports |
are shown The increase in irnporta- |
ton of yarns was chiefly from Japan. |
1t is up to the Jury Commissioners