Reference to previous Report, Annual Series No. 5177.

Report on the Trade of Saigon for the Year 1914

By MR. ACTING CONSUL GORTON.

Though the district of His Majesty's Consul at Saigon embraces the whole of Indo-China, this report deals with the trade of the port of Saigon only. The greater part of the overseas trade of Cambodia passes through Saigon as the port of Pnom-Penh is now rarely visited except by a few small overseas steamers of small draught, which are in the main concerned in the export of cattle from Cambodia to the Philippines.

All figures and statistics given in this report are taken from the official custom-house statistics. Values are given in francs and the quantities in metric tons (i.e., 1,000 kilos. or about 0.9842 ton avoirdupois). The totals of the returns and most figures in the body of the report, are, however, given in sterling.

Trade and commerce.-The total value of the trade of the port of Saigon for the past three years is as follows:

It will be noticed that there is a slight falling-off in the total of the trade of the port for the year under review. This decrease is due to smaller imports, a fact which may be traced to the effects of the great European war, since many French business houses and factories have had to close down and thus local firms have not been able to obtain their usual supplies of imported goods. The year started prosperously for the import firms, and the large stocks they held have allowed them to tide over the lack of supplies up to the present.

The war did not at first have a very depressing effect on the export trade, though of course the career of the "Emden" in these seas made shippers somewhat nervous and caused considerable delay in the shipments reaching home. No boat that loaded at this port was, however, sunk, and up to the moment of writing there has been no loss of ship or cargo shipped from Saigon due to the war (i.e., commerce raiders or submarines). Most of the consignments have, however, been despatched to French Mediterranean ports. During the latter part of the year freight was fairly plentiful owing to the large numbers of colliers chartered by the Government in the Far East, many of which, after discharging their cargo of coal, came up to Saigon for a return cargo to European ports.

Tariff changes.-There is no tariff change to report since the despatch of the last report.

The abolition of light and anchorage dues, mentioned in the last report, became an established fact on July 15, 1915.

In view of the war an extra table is included in this report showing the principal articles, and their values, imported from AustriaHungary and Germany.

Imports.-Tables 1 (A) and (B) show the imports to Saigon. The first specifies the origin of the goods and the second shows the list of the principal articles.

Percentages of the total import trade of Saigon for the various countries are as follows:

During the year under review China and Singapore have each secured a larger proportion of the Saigon trade at the expense of Hong-Kong and France and her colonies. India has more than trebled her exports to Saigon during the last year, and this is due to the much larger amount of opium imported. The figure for Indian opium being 4,375,800 fr. whereas her total imports amounted to 4,424,425 fr. A large proportion of the gunnies and the remainder of the opium. imported are recorded as coming from Singapore, though there is little doubt that they were mainly of Indian origin and only transhipped in Singapore.

The proportion of the total import trade held by the United Kingdom and her colonies (viz., United Kingdom, Hong-Kong, Singapore and India) compares favourably with those of France and her colonies, being 41 60 per cent. for the former to 39 34 per cent. for the latter.

Cotton tissues. The amount has fallen off owing to the fact that no important shipments could be sent from France during the latter

months of the year, as the French factories are largely in the war

zone.

Gunny bags.-There being a bigger export of rice, the import of gunnies has increased.

Silk tissues.-These articles remain about stationary.

Other imports.-There is a falling-off in the amount of gold leaf imported from Hong-Kong and China. There are also decreases in the amount of fruits and seeds, paper, thread, wines and spirits, kerosene, sugar, flour, tea and iron and steel.

The only really large increase is in the amount of opium imported. The total decrease on last year's figures is 515,217. The figures are, however, about 1,000,000l. over those of 1912.

Amongst the other articles imported were:

Exports. The percentages of the total exports taken by the chief countries who compete for the export trade of Saigon are as follows:

It will be seen that Hong-Kong now cedes first place to France and her colonies, though not a great deal of difference exists (Germany took about 2 33 per cent. of the total exports).

Rice.-Rice still constitutes the principal export of the colony, and the prosperity of the colony depends largely upon the rice crop. The year under review was a good one and it is calculated that a great part of the crop still remains in the interior and has not yet been brought down to Saigon for sale to the rice mills. The export shows an increase of some 122,000 tons over last year. The figures for the past five years are as follows:

:

Thus it will be seen that this year's export is 337,435 tons over the quinquennial average. The prospects for next year are bright, as the harvest is said to have been much above the average. The question of export will, however, be somewhat difficult since tonnage is very hard to find, and even when found the rate of freight demanded is often prohibitive to remunerative business. A good demand for Saigon rice exists in both Java and the Philippines.

Two mills managed by and largely owned by Germans have been closed since August 5 last. Most of the other mills have been kept very busy since the beginning of the war and show handsome profits on the year's working.

Fish products. There is an increase of some 200,000l. in the amount of fish products exported.

Maize. The large falling-off in the amount of maize exported is due partly to a poor crop and also to a decreased demand for this article. This decreased demand may be indirectly due to the good rice crop and consequent abundance and cheapness of this latter commodity.

Pepper. The crop was not such a good one as in 1913.

Copra.-The export of copra continues to increase, though it is

feared that during the ensuing year the supply will exceed the demand owing to high freights asked, which militate against the remunerative shipping of this product to Europe.

Hides. The large falling-off was due to the fact that there was no contagious disease amongst the cattle as the hides exported are chiefly those taken off dead cattle and not those off slaughter-house animals.

Other articles. Rubber.-As stated in last year's report the export of rubber is still on the increase and is likely to continue so for some years to come since the majority of the plantations have not yet commenced to yield any rubber and none have all their acreage ready for tapping.

Pigs.-There has not been such a good demand for pigs in Singapore as last year.

The following are the principal articles exported, with their value, during 1914 :

Shipping. Another good rice season has resulted in a large number of foreign-going vessels visiting the port. It will be noticed that the number of British vessels that visited the port last year shows a small decrease. The figures are 254 in 1913 and 225 in 1914. The total number of vessels of all nationalities calling is about the same as last year. The United Kingdom still holds first place and then comes France with 162 entrances or 18 less than last year, due to the withdrawal of some of the Messageries Maritimes boats during the early months of the war.

Japan takes third place with 54 entrances as compared with 41 in 1913. Several more vessels flying the Chinese flag visited the port, some local Chinese having bought some old steamers now ply them regularly on the Singapore and Hong-Kong runs from this port.

During the latter half of the year several American Government steamers visited the port for the purpose of fetching the rice bought by the Government of the Philippines.

The war had during the first few months but little effect on the export trade of Saigon, and tonnage was fairly plentiful though freights began to go up. Towards the end of the year freight was very difficult to find, and the rates had gone up to over twice the amount demanded at the corresponding period of last year.

The only British line that used to call here regularly stopped its service at the end of the year and no ship of that line called here again till the month of May, 1915.

Consequently there was a considerable demand for freight to the United Kingdom which could not be coped with, and many articles,