A Study Of Import And Export At Three Ports Of Zhejiang Province (1926-1936)

The developing state of the three trading ports Hangzhou, Ningbo, Wenzhou in Zhejiang Province in import and export relatively reflected the whole trading development of Modern China from 1926 to 1936. In this article, the author uses the commercial reports and statistics mainly form the Customs of the three commercial ports to analyze the true commercial conditions in these ports, and the author has found out that there are many factors influencing the trade conditions including the tariff policy, the exchange rate, the world-wide business depression, the armed conflicts between China and Japan and so on.First, the new tariff policies of Nanjing Government had obviously influenced the import and export in the three business ports, yet, the degree of the influences is distinct. Take the imposing import duties for an example, since Hangzhou and Ningbo ports are with larger quantity and value of the import goods, they are more sensitive to the reforms in import duties, while Wenzhou is of strong development in exports, so the changes in imports tax might have less influences on Wenzhou port. However, we still need to look into the specific performance of these ports to form an accurate and comprehensive cognition in these ports, finding the specific character of the three.And, the exchange rate also exerted influences in the business ports. Before 1932, the exchange rate dropped down quickly and China won a relatively beneficial commercial condition which as well happened in these three ports, for the imports were of higher price comparing with the Chinese products, so the imports reduced correspondingly at that time and the blank market is filled with the native products. However, the native industries didn't have the capability to produce most of the imports, so the imports was still increasing in some kinds of the goods. Hangzhou, Ningbo and Wenzhou is of likeliness in this situation.Further, the world-wide business depression as well affected these ports. With the augment of the exchange rate, the economic situation of China was aggravated, so were the three ports in imports and exports. For one thing, the foreign market of the home products is shrinking while the foreign products were dumped into China dealing a blow to the native industry. Further more, the armed conflicts made the ports'commercial circumspect instable and full of risk. For instance, the war in Shanghai between China and Japan not only fiercely stroke the Shanghai economy but also brought the economies of the three ports into the economic collapse.Last, the author is aware of the authoritativeness and credibility of these reports and statistics form the three Customs and points out that these reports and statistics cannot show us the whole pictures of the three ports in inport and export. And diffenrent commmodities in different ports have distinct development, so the author choose to describe the situation seperatedly and annually in these ports.