July i, 1886,] 



^HE TROPICAL AGRlCtrtTtrRlS'T. 



S'/ 



TEA; CHINA CONSL'LAR EEPOBTS— 1885, 



Much interesting information on the China tea 

 trade will be found in the following extracts: — 



FOOCHOW AND ITS TEA TRADE. 

 Mr. Consul Sinclair reports as follows: — * * 

 Exports, of the same denomination as those in 1884, 

 are, outside of tea, altogether the cargoes of Chinese 

 traders engaged in the coasting trade. These cargoes 

 represent a value of 1,548,369 Haikwan taels, and con- 

 sist principally, of timber, paper, oranges, olives, dried 

 fruit, &c. Tea, the staple article of export, gives 

 employment to some twenty-eight British firms, who 

 engage solely in this trade. Less wild speculation and 

 more sober trading characterises the business of this 

 year. There has been more judgment exhibited ia 

 the shipping of cargoes to London ; instead of the 

 old system of shipping off in a hurry, and clearing 

 vessels in a heap, by means ot combiuatiou, the de- 

 partures have been gradual, so as to avoid too large 

 arrivals at one time in London. The year 1835 has 

 not been unsuccessful to most shippers of tea, and 

 may be counted among the tolerably fair years. In 

 many cases full charges and commissions have been 

 realised, besides a slight profit on merchants' own 

 account. That fortunes can now be made in tea spec- 

 ulation is beyond expectation, considering the low 

 range of prices of the London market for the last few 

 years, and the demand for common and cheap teas. 

 Owing to shortness of supply on the London market, 

 consequent on the large increase of home consumption, 

 Foochow red-leaf teas have fared better than might 

 be expected, looking at the poor class of teas, almost 

 throughout, that were brought down from the -tea- 

 growing district-;. The teas of both first and second 

 crops were pronounced .somewhat badly prepared, owing, 

 it was thought, to the cold and wet weather daring 

 the spring months ; the musters were generally clean 

 and well fired, and fairly free from dust : they were, 

 for the most part, strong in the cup, with a bright 

 infusion. The most striking characteristics of the crop 

 ai)pcared to be the ab.sence of really fine teas from 

 any of the districts. The Paklings were hardly so well 

 curled as last year's, whilst the Paklums were of 

 similar quality to those of last season, with, perhaps, 

 rather more stren^^'tli. The other kinds, such as Kaisows, 

 Suey-kuts, Saryunfs, Tong Foncf-Toiigs, and Yuughows 

 were of poor (luulity, and were inferior to last year's 

 produce, both in make and liquor. Of Souchongs the 

 general quality of the crop was poor, the liquor being 

 thin, and the leaf showng careless preparation. During 

 the first fortnight on the opening of the market busi- 

 ness was steady and active, but without excitement. 

 Prices then commenced to decline on the advent of 

 bad .advices from home. Prices have shown consider- 

 able fluctation during the year, ranging from 17 to 

 49 taels and 12 to 32 taels at the opening of the 

 market; and 16h to ISh taels and 13 to 20 taels in 

 November. Australians were larger buyers this year 

 than formeily, there being an excess of shipments 

 beyond the wants of the population, Australian busi- 

 ness is creating a serious competition to buyers for 

 London, while it has an undoubted tendency to making 

 bargains more difiScult for the latter. 



The manufacture of brick tea of varieties of tea- 

 dust by Russian merchants only, for export to ."Siberia, 

 is acquiring considerable importance. The low cost of 

 the dust, the cheapness of manufacture, the low export 

 duties upon it, together with the low import duties 

 in Russia, combine to make this trade a success and 

 a profitable business. The most expensive part of the 

 business is the freight on the bricks by sea to Tien- 

 tsin and the carriage on camel-back to Kiachta. The 

 Kussian merchants' export tea-leaf, but in small quan- 

 tities, for Russia proper — their chief business being 

 the making of brick tea, their commissions on orders 

 from Russia bein^ large, and no loss is incurred. The 

 brick is so beautifully made, and is so portable, that 

 it has surprised me the British Government does not 

 get its supplies from this port ; they would find it 

 lesi expensivg and wbolegomer for the army tbau 



what is now given the army and the navy. I think 

 a trial should be made, or that a Government agent 

 should be employed on the spot to manufacture the 

 brick tea in the same way that the Russians here and 

 at Hankow do. For the whole year, according to 

 Custom-house returns, the total export of every kind 

 of tea— black, green, brick— is 733,599, 6t3 piculs, at 

 133f, equal to 97,813,238 lb., inclusive of the import 

 to Chinese ports, amounting to 93,581,42 piculs, for 

 foreign export. According to the Chamber of Com- 

 merce MarKet Reports, the shipments from the open- 

 ing of the market in June to the end of the year 

 come to 80,110,418 lb. as follows:— 



Lb. 

 To London and Continent of Europe 5-',839,30a 

 Australian and New Zealand 21,930,755 



United States and Canada 5,334,354 



The market opened somewhat later this year, actual 

 buying not commencing till June 19. The delay is 

 specially attributable to the anxiety of the native tea 

 brokers for the establishment of fixed rules in the 

 conduct of the trade in regard to weighing and the 

 date of payment. They had cause of complaint in 

 these respects on the part of a few foreign buyers. 

 After much di.scussion a set of rules was adopted by 

 nmtual consent, and came into operation oa June 13. 

 The hope that greater regularity would result from 

 this fresh agreement with the buyers has not been 

 wholly disappointed, and confidence has grown out of 

 the new system between seller and buyer. I am 

 indebted to a commercial friend for the following 

 valuable letter on tea: — 



■' In reviewing the tea trade of this port for the season 

 1885-86 there are, I think, several novel features which 

 it might be well to touch upon in the first place. 



" 1. I would mention the sudden and unexpected 

 termination of the Frauco-Chiense war, which upset 

 many calculations ; and more especially the reopening of 

 Formosa altered the whole position as regards the trade 

 in Oolongs with the United States, preparations for 

 greatly extending which had been made both here 

 and at Amoy but which were rendered nugatory by 

 this .action. 



"2. The inconvenience attending the shipping of 

 cargo by the closing of the port and the removal of 

 the[anchorage to Sharp Peak; but it is noteworthy that, 

 although there was necessarily much delay, there was 

 not a single accident of .any, importance, although the 

 risk was greatly increased. It will be in your re- 

 membrance that the Pagodn Anchorage was reopened 

 on Sept. (> last. 



" 3. The New system of weighing tea, and of the 

 cash payments for same, introduced under the auspices 

 of the Foochow General Chamber of Commerce and 

 the native Tea Guild, the time taken in the settle- 

 ment of these questions causing great delay in the 

 opening of the market, the teamen refusing to show 

 samples until they were .settled. You are aware of 

 the nature of the agreement entered into, and 1 need 

 not further refer to it beyond saying that the 

 terms agreed upon seemed alike fair to buyer and 

 6 dler — that experience has proved this, business as a 

 rule progressing smoothly and pleasantly. Aad I am 

 of opinion that, so long as it is carried out in its 

 integrity, the agreement must continue to exercise a 

 most beneficial effect on the trade of the port. 



"4. The agitation in London List spring, caused by 

 the expected increase in the import duty on tea, re- 

 sulting in enormous duty payments and the consequent 

 reduction in the bonded stock of this article to a 

 very low i)oiut. 



" 5. Another novel feature has been the re-employ- 

 ment of sailing-ships in the carrying trade of tea, no 

 less than five vessels, carrying about 7,0:J0 tons, 

 having been dispatched from this port during this 

 last s 'ason. This was brought about by the action 

 of the Conference Lines of steamers preventing com- 

 petition aiul fair rates of freight, the average rate per 

 steamer being £3 per ton of -10 feet, ^yhilc by sailing- 

 ship the rate was only 30s. to 40. per ton of oO feet, 

 the dill'crcucc being a heavy percentage on tho laying* 



