2286 



co:mmeecial japan. 



[DECEMBEn, 



AMERICAN COMPETITION WITH BRITISH TRADE IN JAPAN. 



[From the British Board of Trade Journal.] 



The as.«i.stant Japane-se secretary to Her Majesty's legation at Tokyo, in a report to the foreign office on the trade of Japan for 

 1897 (Annual Series, 2109), states that the appearance of the United States as a serious competitor i^ith Europe was, m 1896, attributed 

 to the prevailing depression in the States, but the same reason will not account for the continued growth of this competition m 1897, 

 and other caases must be sought. 



In the first place, it would seem that the period of prosperity experienced in the States until about 1893 or 1894 ended with a 

 considerable overproduction in every branch of manufacture. The depression which ensued brought about an era of economy and 

 stimulated the development of labor-saving machinery and appliances of every description, and by their adoption the American 

 maker has been able not only to meet the lower prices offered to him by his own countrymen, but in many cases to create a demand 

 abroad-by selling his surplus at cost price and thus freeing the home market from any excess. 



In the second place, the development of an export trade from the United States has been taken up by large combinations of varied 

 interests, having as their object the collection and dissemination of such practical information respecting the world's requirements as 

 will lead to an extension of commerce. These institutions stand ready to furnish gratis all details with regard to the resources and 

 industries of the States, and there can be little doubt but that this broad and comprehensive policy is of incalculable assistance to 

 those concerned in American trade. Another point to be mentioned is the development of direct steamship lines from New York, 

 whereas formerly goods were sent to Liverpool or London for transshipment to Japan. 



While the relative growth of Japan's imports from the United States shows a very large increase in recent years, the amount of 

 exports from Great Britain has increa.sed by a larger total value; but it must be borne in mind that the American invasion has only just 

 commenced, that the ground has been prepared for large extensions in the future, and that unless some unforeseen changes take place 

 the tendency will he toward encroachment upon the trade hitherto belonging to Great Britain. The import trade to Japan of the United 

 States is growing rapidly, more particularly in machinery, locomotives, and railway material— articles for which the United Kingdom has 

 hitherto held a monopoly. 



A reference should also be made to the quick deliveries which can always be obtained from America. As an instance, English 

 locomotive builders required two years for the deUver>' of an extensive order, while the Baldwin Locomotive Works turned them out at 

 the rate of two a day and shipped the whole quantity within eight or ten weeks. 



Another case recently occurred where the English time for shipment of five locomotives was ten months and the price about $12,000 

 gold, delivered in Japan; and American makers offered to ship in fourteen weeks at about $8,000 gold. The same specification was 

 submitted to both countries. The time allowed for execution of orders by the Japanese buyer is always very short and the tendency ia 

 to make it shorter still; consequently prompt shipments are a great advantage, and when, in addition, the shortness of the rail and sea 

 route via the Pacific coast is taken into consideration, it is apparent that the British maker must, even on the same terms as to price, 

 offer strong counter inducements to insure successful competition. At the same time there seems to be no doubt in the minds of the 

 Japanese as to the superiority of the British-made engine. 



The total imports from the United States and Great Britain in 1890, 1895, 1896, and 1897 are shown as follows: 



The British vice-consul at Tacoma (U. S. A.), in a recent report to the foreign office (.Annual Series, 2115), says that respecting 

 commercial relations with China and Japan, in addition to the regular steamships of the Northern Pacific Steamship Company, four char- 

 tered steamers have been employed for single voyages to cope with the requirements of the traffic during the summer months; at this 

 time the question of the imposition of duties on tea, matting, and other products of China and Japan was under consideration by the 

 Government; and importations that, under ordinary circumstances, would have been spread over an entire season, were hurried across 

 within the second quarter of the year in the hope of arriving in the United States before the duty had been imposed. In consequence, 

 the voluiuc of trade from the far E;vst lor the remainder of the year was comparatively small. On the other hand, the exports of flour, 

 raw cottftu, machinery, wire nails, steel rails, electrical material, and manufactures of all kinds from the United States to Japan, China, 

 and the Ea.^'t generally show a perceptible increase; and the capacities of the steamers connected with the trans-Pacific Uncs have been 

 taxed to the utmost on tlie western voyage to afford the shipping facilities required. The quantity of steel rails brought across the 

 Amerii"in continent by rail from the manufactories in the vicinity of Chicago, and exported via Paget Sound to Japan, has aggregated 

 alxmt l.'i.OOO ton.';; and it is a remarkable circumstance that the American manufacturers, under the disadvantage of the expense of 2,000 

 miles t raii-^porfatinn by rail, can successfully compete with English and Belgian firms selling rails in Japan. There ha^ been some falling 

 off in tiif numbiT of liales of cotton domestics, with other textile manufactures, passing through the Puget Sound ports for China, the 

 exporters n|>parently finding clieaper shipping facilities by steamers running from New York via the Suez Canal. Exports from America 

 have, to an ai»i)rociable extent, been curUiiled by the dearth of opportunities for shipment across the Pacific in consequence of the steam 

 tonnage in the ivgular lines being insufficient to carryall the cargo offered, and the rates of freight not proving remunerative enough to 

 in.luce out.side steamers to run the ri.«^k of coming across from China or Japsn in ballast for the return cargoes offering. 



The Nippon Yusen Kaisha, llu- Japan Mail Steamship Company, whose American terminus is at Seattle, has greatly improA-ed its 

 service during the year, the company's boats having been carrying very full cargoes. The principal articles of export and import to and 

 from Seattle have been carried by this line, and an enormous amount of business done by the company. A very lar^ increase may 

 al.'»o Ih' noticed in the cotton and textile manufactures, as well iw in the iron manufactures] imder which head are included the exporta- 

 tions of ateel rails to Japan and Koiva. 



