Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, For the Year 1887, Transmitted to Congress, With a Message of the President, June 26, 1888

No. 414.
Mr. Hubbard to Mr. Bayard.

[Extract.]

Legation of the United States,
Tokio, June 2, 1887. (Received June 27.)

No. 346.]

Sir: I transmit herewith the annual return of the foreign trade of the Empire of Japan for 1886. The total value of Japan’s export trade for the year was 48,870,471 yen, and the total value of her import trade for the same period was 32,168,432 yen, being a total of import and export trade for year of 81,038,903 yen, which is an increase of 16,601,510 yen over the total trade of 1885. The excess of export over import trade for the year under consideration was 16,702,039 yen.

The following table shows a comparative statement of the total export and import trade for 1885 and 1886 between Japan and some of the principal commercial countries. The values in this table as well as all values in this dispatch are expressed in Japanese yen.

Countries.	1885.	1886.	Gain.
	Yen.	Yen.	Yen.
United States and Canada	18,340,052	23,347,202	5,007,150
France	8,065,777	10,963. 815	2,898,036
China	13,418,518	16,718,758	3,300,240
Great Britain	14,827,399	16,898,603	2,071,204
Germany	2,129,585	3,178,117	1,048,532
Corea	469,114	1,392,763	923,640
East Indies and Siam	3,889,047	4,210,462	321,415
Australia	355,556	550,379	191,823

Exports from Japan to some of the principal commercial countries for 1885 and 1886.

Countries.	1885.	1886.	Gain.
	Yen.	Yen.	Yen.
United States and Canada	15,613,868	19,988,216	4,374,348
France	6,735,911	9,632,902	2,896,991
Great Britain	2,411,978	4,195,355	1,783,377
Germany	493,333	864,458	371,125
East Indies and Siam	492,083	649,143	157,000
Italy	120,593	181,200	60,607
China	7,655,468	9,594,907	1,939,439
Australia	281,235	469,914	185,679
Corea	229,600	829,316	599,716
Russia	245,291	231,695	14,596
Austria	24,607	156,315	131,708

Imports into Japan for 1885 and 1886 from some of the principal commercial countries.

Countries.	1885.	1886.	Gain.
	Yen.	Yen.	Yen.
Great Britain	12,415,421	12,703,248	287,827
China	5,763,050	7,123,851	1,360,801
East Indies and Siam	3,396,961	3,561,319	164,355
United States and Canada	2,720,184	3,358,986	632,802
Germany	1,655,652	2,313,659	648,007
France	1,329,866	1,330,913	1,047
Corea	239,514	563,447	323,933
Belgium	317,682	507,908	190,226
Switzerland	306,254	263,446	42,808
Italy	95,998	119,557	23 559
Australia	71,321	80,465	9,144

Of Japan’s nearly 49,000,000 yen in value of exports it is interesting to note that the following twenty-seven articles form over 45,000,000 yen:

Articles.	Value.	Articles.	Value.
	Yen.		Yen.
Silk, all kinds	21,070,636	Fans	195,144
Tea, all kinds	7,723,320	Matches	378,017
Rice	3,300,599	Screens	193,124
Coal, including for ship use	2,208,548	Bamboo ware	191,271
Fish including shell-fish	1,819,905	Bronzes	193,231
Porcelain	1,002,384	Hides and skins	216,852
Copper	2,130,880	Wheat	231,078
Camphor	928,027	Mushrooms	437,397
Lacquered ware	589,169	Kanten	392,604
Sea-weed	598,414	Beche de mer	196,425
Straw ware	179,618	Peppermint oil	63,206
Cotton piece goods	229,665	Sulphur	72,938
Tobacco	126,612	Antimony	154,318
Rags	175,718

The foregoing list includes only Japanese productions and manufactures. Re-exported foreign commodities have been omitted from it.

Of the 32,000,000 yen of Japan’s import from foreign countries, the following twenty-eight articles compose over 30,000,000 yen.

Articles.	Value.	Articles.	Value.
	Yen.		Yen.
Wools, woolen yarns, blankets, buntings, and other woolen goods	3,565,871	Iron—pig., bar, railroad plate, and sheet	206,579
Kerosene oil	2,358,497	Steel and steel ware	2,079,233
Sugar	5,557,012	Other metal manufactures	568,511
Cotton yarns	5,905,457	Raw cotton	618,429
Hair, horns, hides, etc.	1,061,799	Flour	99,156
Shirtings, white and gray	1,145,253	Provisions, including butter, hams, bacon, and condensed milk	361,800
Victoria lawns, T-cloths, and other cotton goods	1,223,326	Books and pencils	169,480
Tobacco	93,098	Paper, all kind	196,230
Wines and liquors	488,551	Clocks	88,589
Cannons, muskets, etc	374,491	Locomotives, and parts of	90,089
Medicines and chemicals	979,894	Watches	165,774
Dyes and paints	653,207	Hats, caps, etc	122,213
Glass and glassware	249,047	Machinery—mining, pumping, paper making, etc	459,584
Grain and seeds	103,146
Iron nails	456,499

The principal imports from the United States to Japan for 1886.

Articles.	Value.	Articles.	Value.
	Yen.		Yen.
Kerosene oil	2,358,497	Mercury	44,875
Leather	149,852	Cotton duck	22,789
Flour	97,454	Tobacco	29,316
Provisions	60,553	Watches and fittings	18,255
Condensed milk	57,102	Drugs, medicines, and chemicals	50,642
Books	53,230	Lead pencils	43,655
Clocks	81,331	Iron, and manufactures of	16,130

I beg to call your attention to the interesting fact that while the aggregate value of imports from the United States into Japan increased in 1886 over 1885 632,802 yen, the gain on kerosene alone was 690,776 over 1885, the falling off being in such imports as leather, clocks’ watches, etc., and several other articles, as a comparison of the tables of the years 1885 and 1886 respectively indicates. The total imports from the United States for 1885, 2,726, 184, while for 1886 the imports have increased to 3,083,001. These figures speak for themselves, indicating the fact that while the balance of trade against the United States has not been decreased, American exports to Japan have increased in 1886 over 1885 more than half a million in value to with 632,802. The demand, per contra America for Japanese productions has increased largely over 1885, the Japanese exports to America in 1885 being more than 15,000,000, while for 1886 it has swelled to over 19,000,000. We buy of Japan more than Great Britain does by 15,792,861 than France by 10,355.314; and than Germany by 19,123,75. The United States should and can sell more largely to Japan than now of the varied products of our soil—wheat, flour, etc., and the manufactures of our mills and the fabrics of our looms. The absolute cost of production and manufacture, the vast advantage in the distance of transportation by sea, should enable our people to place their goods in the Eastern markets at as low prices (certainly for the same grade of goods) as French, English, or German manufacturers. Tour commercial statistics of the trade relations between China and the United States show the gratifying fact that American “piece goods” and cotton and woolen fabrics have found a ready and annually increasing demand in China. Why not in Japan, with her 38,000,000 of consumers, as well? I have had the honor to direct your attention to the fact heretofore that, so far as concerns materials for railway construction and bridges and locomotives, etc. (and even our iron and steel rails can enter into competition with English and German rails if our people will only submit to smaller profits, as the latter do in their shipments hither), we can successfully compete with our European rivals.

I have, etc.,

Richard B. Hubbard.

P. S.—I have omitted in the foregoing dispatch to call attention to the fact that the Japanese customs returns, herewith inclosed, speak of the “United States and Canada” as one; and that “East Indies and Siam “are put together. This is confusing, but as to the relative proportion of English and American trade it does not practically alter the status. “British India,” as the Department is aware, is only a part of the “East Indies,” while Siam no more belongs to Great Britain than Canada does to the United States.