Approximately 213.2 million Hai-Javan taels or its equivalent left China daring 1982 to pay for rice and cereals imported from abroad. It took nearly half the value of the exports for the year under review (43 per cent. actually) to cover the transaction. Rice alone cost more than any other item or Eroup of items in the trade returns. Tt cost much more than all the cat-ton goods imported; or more than enough to purchase all the metals and ores, the timber, and the mahinery brought into the country during the year. The quantity of rice bought from abroad was 22. million piculs as agai lion piculs in the previ 199 million piculs in 1930, While the cost of this foodstuff, therefore, was very great in comparison with that of other imports, the quantity involved was a mere bagatelle compared with the figures fc~ the total home-production of rice, which was placed at 873 million year, Why the quantity imported should vary so from year to year is not always apparent. As was shown in reviewing the ort position in 1991. (the year of Eke great flood), good. fest crops were, harvested in some. cases, fore the inundation, a large carry: over from the previous year occur-relly the gre Waa He. centre, Stherwise flooded districts, and fair Lerops were reaped in some!
plentiful supplies could be obtain-"from outside the flooded areas.
the year now under' discussion there is' no doubt that crops were! jexeellent throughout the whole doubled of foreign grain can-rice belt, and the reasons for the not, therefore, have been due entire. fry of origin being brought ly to the true supplies. The importations appear to ly fo an unusual shortage of home out by the introduction of the have been made for the following Consular Invoice system. In the reasons: (a) fear of a shortage cave "of softwoods, however" from home crops, owing to. the growing importance of "Siberian difficulties foreseen in farming the hi desolated regions affected by the ed: while the quantity Brought in flood, caused large speculative pur-from the Union of Sotialist Soviet chases to be made; (b) fear of a Renublics only" amounted. to: about shortage for local consumption a quarter of the importations from the rice areas led to embargoes be-the. United States "of Ametica in ing placed on exports from these 1931,- the quantities from these districts until the excellence of the two Countries almost reached parity crops was assured beyond doubt; Jauring the year under review.
before these embargoes were raised in the autanm, other parts of Figures for Exports the country were forced to. cover
lof foreign rice, and the markets their equitements by the purchase It is obvious that if a full year's trade in Manchuria be credited. to were already stocked before Chinese 1931 and only the half year's trade supplies were available; (d) foreign of that area for which Customs figures are available be credited to quick overland' means of transport Tica, was cheap, and the afsenee of 1982, "an unfair, picture of the decline in China's "exports during from tite "precluding Wistriets "rethe year under review would be farded the movement and increased drawn, A 88 per cent, decrease is the Price, ireagy tion owing to bad enough, but four other countries local taxation, of the native article. (including "Germany and Austria) With the completion of the Canton-exceeded the 40 percent, mark Hankow Railway and the inter-Provincial motor highways, some of from the United Siaten dex nearly 34 per cents; these transport difficulties should France, the Netherlands, and the disappear in the near future.
Belge-Luxemburg Economic Union all "registered declines of over. 38 Supplies of Wheat Per cent,; and the average decline World supplies of wheat were in exports for all countries worked about the same the previous: out at 246 per cent. years, and prices were even lower, date statistics show further extent to whi but, imports into China declined very considerably. Doubtloss there Was some connection between this export trade, serious decline and the increase in the tice was, any Tate been 'a8 a rise or a fall in extraordinary than that which fisties for one of these food: occurred in many other coun-stuffs was offset bya fall or a tries during the year under rise in the other in each of the two review. Apart from the general Preceding' years, but-a more obvious depression in international trade, reason for the 1982 decline in wheat and the resulting protective barriers importations (f erected in other countries that have being about made it more difficult for Chinese produce to find a market abroad, the in purchases of wheat flour. 'The outstanding feature of the year in avantity' "of wheat, consumed the export trade has been the loss mills in China. during 1982 has been to the country of the benefit of the placed at about 105 million piculs, great agricultural shipments to but, taking into consideration the foreign countries from Manchuria, ast quantities "still being. ground and omestends, ete mie in primitive fashion in' villages Bean Trade Suffers For many years beans and bean consumption res probal bear little relation to. the products have been far and away actual aggregate figures for home the most important export from consumption. However this may. be, China." Even inthe year under Ww these the production of wheat in the fou products, were valued Jat almost, 80 million Haikwan taels, provinces, of Shansi, Hopeh, Sha tung, and "Kiangeu alone has been for considerably more than double estimated at nearly 176. million the value of the next most import-Picwls, so that, as in the case of fant item on the export list, raw Hie, the quantity imported was pro-silk, although the statistics for be trio. products include only. six. months Portionately to production, mere shipments from Manchuria, "Out of country before™ the "introduction The rush to get, sugar into the total of 66.8 million piculs ensand bean products exported the new tariff. is" indicated in 1931, 64.9 million piculs originat~ by the fact, that. of the above in' Manchuria. and only 1.9 58 million piculs imported during million piculs from the rest, of 1082, 3.8 million picul China, It is to be feared that thin landed "'before the paragraph, therefore, is in. the March and only 2 million. pict ature of a valediction for the time altogether during the last nine being to this important section of month of the year; but it was natural, of course, that the second the export trade as far as China la part of the year should sce quieter Difficulties With Silk trading after the hurried stocking of the market during the frst qua Silk values fell to new low levels Jabroad during the year under re-Petroleum Products view. Unhappily this was not even Kerosene and gasolene have been attended by any advance in con-expensive in China since the slump sumption, for the lower prices were inthe value of silver, and a feature merely a' result, of the more critical lof, the year was the' almost whole-economic situation and were accom-lo establishment" of refineries, panied by an equal lowering ly inthe south, for the throughout the world of the power distillation of kerosene from liquid purchase. Demand, therefore, fuel, the idea being to save on the turned more than ever' to cheaper iffrence in duty Between these évo textiles, especially to the inereasingly popular substitute for natural bei opel sabato nara the most' part. by' the process, but the oil is marketed. readily' enough depression and the competition. of rayon, another factor affecting the on. account of its cheapness. Ru demand for "Chinoye alk" wan the san il was also a competitor, im large supplies of cheaper Japanese Ports of kerosene from that country silk made available during the year, Fising from" 6.5. million gallons. the sale of which was facilitated 1931. to 22.3 million in the year under review, although the output in rates, Indeed, the pres by, the, favourable, "yen ex chan the Union of Socialist Soviet Rearity of luxury articles has affected Publics actually "showed a slight the silk trade of these two count decline for the first time since the China and Japan, in much the inauguration of the five-year plan. way. "After two, successive years [As will be seen from the table below, of unprofitable trading, the' silk the total imports of Kerosene have industry in both, countries got into coined yeary since 108 the gasolene fet Hinancial difficulties. In both countries advances had to be obtained new highways being built, are now from the banks against stocks of below the level of the 1029 statis-silk in both countries a large pro-ties, for which the low purchasing Portion of the material stored with ver and the ils affecting the banks proved to be of inferior Sting, the lst two quality, unfit for export; and in esponsibie. "There was litre ars. wou ar to be both countries the Government had to come to the assistance of banks ghanige during the past two, yea jand merchants. "Unfortunately for however, in the actual consumption [China the output of the silk inclu: lof Kerosene and gasolene, and even try in Japan is now very much slight improvement in' sales was givater "than in China, and" the in evidence during the year under stocks liquidated inthe former feountry were enough to swamp Siberian' Timber Trade almost all interest in the smaller The decline in timber imports supplies available from China. In during 1982 would appear to be of addition, the Chinese trade had very very temporary nature, quite out [special difficulties to contend of Keeping with the actual demand in the hindered movement of car-jand the increasing timber, require-goes and credit brought about by ments of this country. From the the hostilities in the Shanghai area, table given overleaf it will be coen How all these difficulties were met that there has been little change through the keen interest evinced daring the past two years either the National Government in t the quantity of ordinary' hardwood Tong-established industry, formerly imported or in the direction of trade one of the largest and most profit-jin that class of timber, the marked fable in the country, was an difference in the He and standing feature of the yea North Borneo figures for the two practical proof of the Government's
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.