1901.] 



COMMEKCIAL JAPAN. 



21>85 



GROWTH OF AMERICAN IMPORTS INTO JAPAN. 



[From British consular report in British Boiird of Trade Journal.] 



In last j'ear's report attention was drawn to the fact that rails were exported from the United States of America to Japan for the 

 first time in 1890. The development in 1897 deserves attention from British manufacturers and merchants. The following table gives 

 the figures for all Japan: 



RAILS FR0JI- 



1896 



1S97 



Great Britain 



United States of America 



Belgium 



Germany 



£ 

 163,000 

 123, 500 

 29,000 

 17,000 



Total ; 332, 500 



£ 



203,000 



37,500 



9,000 



10,000 



259,500 



In 1896 British rails were four-fifths of the total imported. In 1897 they were less than half. £7.3,000 more rails were importe^l 

 in 1897 than in 1898, but the import of British rails fell off by £40,000, while the import of American rails increased by £86,000. Belgian 

 and CJerman rails also advanced slightly at the expense of the British. 



In 1897 of railway material Great Britain had ^\\ per cent; United States of America, 16} per cent; Belgium, 13 per cent, and 

 Germany, 9|- per cent of the imports. In 1896 Great Britain had over 77 per cent of it all; Gennany nearly 12 per cent; Belgium, 6 per 

 cent, and the United States of America only 5 per cent. Although the railway material is less important than the rails, it is 

 nevertheless noteworthy that in this, as well as the rails, the States increased their exports to Japan to over treble the 1806 amount. 



Previous to 1897 all the pig iron came from England, but this year about 8 per cent came from the States. The American pig 

 iron is not liked so much as the English, and what is used is mixed with British pig. The American compares favorably with the 

 English in price. Of all imported, perhaps 15 per cent is taken by the Government shops, and the balance in privately owned 

 foundries. 



Of bars, 80 or 85 per cent is Belgian, and only 15 or 20 per cent is British. At the most, 10 per cent of the total is high quality; 

 this is all English. Probably 5 to 10 per cent of cheap quality bars now come from England; formerly all the cheap bars came from 

 Belgium. About 70 per cent of these bars are iron and the rest mild steel. 



Of plates and sheets about 75 per cent is English and 25 per cent is Continental, the greater part of the former being mild steel. 

 Crucible steel is practically all English. 



Of wire nails, 62 per cent comes from the States, 32 per cent from Germany, 4 per cent from Belgium, and 2 per cent from England. 



HINTS TO EXPORTERS TO JAPAN. 



The following paragraphs are from the annual report of United States Consul Harris, of Nagasaki, in Commercial Kelations, 1897-98: 



"Whenever an article of American manufacture has secured thefavorof Japanese tradesmen, there is no reasonfor its not continuing 

 to monopolize the market (for the sentiment of the people is strongly in our behalf), provided the standard of quality be fully maintained 

 and an equal amount of care aufl attention be paid to the appearance of the packages and to the methods of shipping that are given to 

 such matters by European n^ianufacturers. There is a preference on the part of most foreigners and of many Japanese for glass jars for 

 all fruits, vegetables, etc., rather than tin cans, when the former are practicable. Whatever is put upon the glass in the nature of label 

 or advertisement should be so heavily varnished or shellacked or prepared in some way as to permit of its being washed without marring 

 the beauty or clearness of the label, while cans should be provided with labels other than those of thin paper, which do not allow the 

 can to be washed and have its appearance restored when it becomes fiyspecked or shopworn. The methods adopted by most of the 

 French purveyors are recommended. In the matter of packing, it is very desirable that the mitial jar or tin be as small as is practicable — 

 for example, butter in half-pound cans, fruit and vegetables in half-pound cans or pint jars, while cases of such size as can be carried 

 conveniently by a porter along rough mountain roads will find a much readier sale with the Japanese than the large cases containing two 

 dozen 2-pound cans. In the one item of biscuits (crackers), it is believed that the American bakers are gradually supplanting the 

 European, and there is no apj^arent reason why our merchants should not secure a monopoly of this business, provided the standard be 

 fully maintained. The present size of the tin boxes used rather checks the sale to the Japanese, and it is probable that tins of half the 

 size would sell much more readily. Besides the matter of cost, there is an additional reason for the preference for small tins in that the 

 biscuits soon lose their crispness in this moist climate. 



"In textiles, machinery, implements, and all other articles it is equally important that the standard of excellence originally established 

 when first soliciting orders be rigidly maintained, and also that the requirements of the Japanese dealers and consumers be carefully 

 ascertained and fully complied with. These may at times seem to be somewhat whimsical in that they differ so widely from established 

 customs in the United States— for example, as to the width of a piece of cloth, the length of the bolt, the number of pieces in a bale, 

 the dimensions of a package, or the size of a case of machinery; but it will always be found that there is good reason for these 

 requirements, either in the meagerness of the demand or the inadequate transportation facilities. 



" It is worthy of note that the Western Light and Power Construction Company, of San Fi-ancisco, supplieil to the recently opened 

 Nagasaki Hotel (one of the finest hostelries in the Far East, representing an investment of some 300,000 yen) its entire outfit of electrical 

 apparatus, including engines, in competition with several other bidders. The same company has also secured another profitable 

 contract. 



"There is already a considerable importation of leather into this consular district, both sole and upjier, all of which is used lor 

 making boots and shoes. Of this the bulk comes from the United States, and there is no reason why our tannei-s should not have a 

 practical monopoly of this business and largely increase their export of mw leather to Japan. There is little reiison to expect a demand 

 for harness leather or for boots and shoes. The duty on leather after January 1, 1899, will be 0.0558 yen (2.77 cents) i-)er pound, 

 epecific, for sole, and 10 per cent .ad valorem for other kinds." 



No. 6 20 



