1924

720
SHANGHAI
of pure silver, but varies owing to the crude methods of assay. This is, however,,
the mean. The silver known as “sycee” is cast into “shoes” of fifty taels, more or
less. The foreign banks issue notes of the value of one dollar and upwards for both
taels and dollars. Smaller transactions are conducted in clean Mexican dollars, or
equivalent dollars from the various provincial mints, smaller subsidiary provincial
silver coins and copper cash. There are twenty-eight foreign and numerous native banks-
in the Settlement. The Imperial Chinese Bank, under Chinese and European man¬
agement, was opened by Imperial Decree in 1896.
Trade and Commerce
Shanghai is the great emporium for the trade of the Yangtsze and Northern and
Corean ports, and to some extent for Japan. The total import and export trade of
1868 amounted to sixty-five million taels. It steadily increased each year until 1881,
when it reached Hk. Tls. 141,921,357, but afterwards showed a great decline, the
total for 1884 having been twenty per cent, less than that for 1881. There was,
however, a rapid recovery up to 1905. The total trade, import and export, for the
last nine years, as returned by the Customs Statistical Department, is given below:-—
1914.. .
1915.. .
1916.. .
1917.. .
1918.. .
1919.. .
1920.. .
1921.. .
1922.. .
Hk. Tls. 498,695,147 at Ex. 1.47
„ 549,379,765 „ 1.41
„ 571,245,672 „ 1.54
„ 580,232,838 „ 1.63
„ 627,094,382 „ 1.61
„ 768,006,155 „ 1.68
„ 840,969,438 „ 1.58
„ 927,477,660 „ 1.50
„ 989,715,490 ., 1.50
Mex. $733,081,866 at
„ $774,625,468 ,
„ $879,718,335 ,
„ $945,779,526 ,
„ $1,009,621,955 ,
„ $1,290,250,340 ,
„ $1,328,731,712 ,
„ $1,391,216,490 ,
„ $1,484,573,235
:. 2s. 8|d., £ 68,051,150
2s. 7&d., £ 71,247,688
3s. 3t^d., £ 94,761,326
4s. 3f;>d., £125,263,808
5s. 3,7Rd., £165,755,416
6s. 4d., £243,201,949
6s. 9id., £285,579,205
3s. 1 l-iVh, £ 183,321,756
3s. 5d., £241,394,022
The following tables show the export of Tea and Silk for eight years:—
1914..
1915..
1916..
1917..
1918..
1919..
1920.. .
1921..
1922..
Tea—Black
piculs 196,817
„ 273,076
„ 222,384
,. 175,232
73,351
„ 146,232
„ 40,248
48,341
„ 152,828
Brick
400,015
434,466
404,910
214,570
79,716
149,344
4,642
13,820
1,438
Green
277,565
311,605
296,214
208,292
164,175
249,658
157,063
249,113
261,019
Silk
1914.. .54.927
1915.. .79.089
1916.. .66.609
1917.. .66.837
1918.. .60.943
1919.. .82.289
1920.. .46.889
1921.. .28.260
1922.. .63.593
Wild
13,727
24,260
10,986
11,826
15,525
14,099
9,412
456
9,744
Waste
52,474
39,879
06,448
171,451
81,467
77,988
51,496
18,074
49,299
Cocoons
20,863
31,170
23,398
29,428
28,550 -
30,894
24,544
18,211
28,396
The Impprt trade in Foreign Goods for 1922 was as follows:—
From Foreign Countries and Hongkong Hk. Tls. 419,593,331
From Chinese Ports 5,137,930
Hk. Tls, 424,731,261
The following were the net values, after deducting re-exports, of the principal
classes of Foreign Goods imported during that year:—
Cotton Goods. Tls. 35,286,874
Cotton, Raw ... 34,029,185
Machinery 26,583,957
Tobacco, Cigars,&c. 19,150,152
Metals 17,666,746
Sugar 12,089,646
Kerosene Oil, &c. 8,959,631
Timber 7,460,058
Paper Tls. 6,394,539
Wol. and C’tonMix.
and Wol. Goods 6,343,508
Coal 4,434,799
Elect!. Metal, &c. 4,076,746
Misc. Piece Goods 2,183,333
Dyes and Colours 1,686,125
Cotton Yarn ... 1,532,044
Fish, Salted, &c. Tls. 1,184,454
Ginseng 832,556
Leather 606,815
Soap 468,169
Gunny & Cotton
Bags 276,822
Sundries 47,708,124
Total Hk. Tls. 239,054,283
Of the total gross value of goods imported (Hk. Tls. 424,731,261), goods valued
at Hk. Tls. 7,331,548 were re-exported to Foreign Countries and Hongkong. A striking-
feature of the last two or three years’ trade has been the rapid growth in the part
played by America in the commerce of the port.