FOREIGN  TRADE

285

to  Canton.  In  the  eighteenth  century  trade  was  rigidly
restricted  to  Canton,  and  at  this  port  the  flags  of  the  principal
maritime  commercial  nations  were  shown  in  greater  or  less
numbers,  including,  from  1784,  the  American.  In  the  first
part  of  the  nineteenth  century,  in  the  days  of  the  “  old
trade,”  restricted  as  before  to  Canton,  the  principal  part
of  the  carrying  trade  fell  to  the  British  flag,  and,  next  to
that,  to  the  American.  The  fifth  and  sixth  decades  of  the
century  were  a  period  of  scramble,  and  since  that  time  the
development  of  the  carrying  trade  under  the  principal  flags
is  shown  in  the  following  table.

Imports  generally  (net,  after  deduction  of  re-exports
to  foreign  countries)  were  valued  in  1867  at  Tls.69,329,741
(£23,109,914)  and  in  1905  at  Tls.447,100,791  (£67,065,119).
Opium  was  imported  in  1867  to  the  amount  of  60,948
piculs,  of  which  26,297  piculs  was  Bengal  (government
monopoly)  opium,  and  34,651  piculs  from  Malwa  (independent ­
  Indian  states)  and  Persia  ;  the  value  was
Tls.31,994,576,  being  46  per  cent,  of  the  value  of  all  foreign
imports  in  that  year.  In  1905  the  import  of  foreign  opium
was  51,890  piculs,  of  which  34,235  piculs  were  Bengal  and
i 7;655  Malwa  and  Persian  ;  the  value  was  Tls.34,070,021,
being  7^  per  cent,  of  all  foreign  imports.
*  Japanese  carrying  trade  affected  by  Russo-Japanese  War,
1904-5.
t  Steamers  and  sailing  vessels  engaging  in  trade  under  the  regulations ­
  of  the  Inspectorate  General  of  Customs.

1864.  X874.  1884.  1894.

British  ..
American
French  ..
German
Japanese
Norwegian

Other  Foreign
Chinese  f

Tons.  Tons.  Tons.  Tons.

64.588  494,237  2,993,613  5,539,246  9)911,209  16,407)352

Total

Imports