It was to Japan that went for the balk of her coal supply, importing 1,363,473 tons of the value of Tls. 6,952,986 from that country out of total net import of 1,558,190 tons, value Tis, 8,631,419. Hongkong transhipped 164,975 tons, value Tis.
1,266,514, while supplies also came from French Indo-China, Australia, Great Britain, etc. Over half-a-million tons of coal were consumed at Shangh while Hankow, Kowloon, Chefoo, Canton, ete. utilized large quantities. Practically all the cutlery and electroplate ware supplied to China were imported from Europe, although the trade with the United States of America was doubled since the previous year. Germany's trade amounted to Tls. 105,645 and Great Britain's to Tls. 67,581. Electrical materials and fittings of the value of Tls. 548,358 were exported from the Continent of Europe, Russia excepted, to China, a8 against goods value Tls. 125,154 in the previous year. Great Britain's contribution was Tls. 260,666, but Belgium sold electrical fittings and material in China to the value of Tls. 399,498. Goods of this class exported by Germany to this Empire were valued at Tls. 139,796.
The table showing the value of railway plant and materials imported is particularly interesting. Since 1904 the value of plant and materials hes steadily increased, but this year Tls. 11,439,806 were spent as against Tls. 7,346,739 in 1905. Of this total Tls. 6,210,832 were spent in Belgium, Tls. 6,703, 889 in the Continent of Europe, Russia excepted, Tls. 1,964,788 in Japan, and Tls. 1,827,443 in Great Britain. The increased business has been done with Belgium—Tle. 6,210,832 in 1906 as against Tls. 2,637,451 in 1905—and elsewhere on the continent of Evrope. Orders executed in Great Britain only exceeded those of last year by Tess than Tls. 100,000. Chine spent nearly Tls. 300,000 more with Japan and Tls. 200,000 more with Germany, but the latter country's total business was only valued at Tls. 398,808. The materials were shipped mainly to Hankow, Tientsin and Shanghai. The value of railway-plant sent to Hankow was Tis, 5,004,431, to Tientsin Tis, 4,435,528. to Shanghai Tls. 1,344,095. The goods sent to Canton were represented by Tls. 13,320, while none were passed direct from Home through the Kowloon Customs district. Nearly the whole of the value of the export, by Germany was swallowed up by Kino-chao.
The quantity of paper purchased by China from abroad was 409,732 piculs, value Tls. 3,369,548, as against 256,062 piculs, value Tls. 2,413,244, in 1905. Paper bought by quantity came mostly through Hongkong, from Japan and Europe. Hongkong forwarded 158,442 piculs, Japan 127,334 piculs, and the continent of Europe, Russia excepted, 101,115 piculs. Most of the paper was imported st Canton, Shanghai and Tientsin.
The amount of flour transhipped at Hongkong during the year 1906 was 1,194,266 piculs of the value of Tls. 4,277,187. The trade with America increased with a bound, but the returns are somewhat higher than they would other wi e be, owing to the shipments of flour to the Famine Area, In 1905 the trade with the United States was return-
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.