§ 20. Mr. TREVELYANasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Overseas Trade Department whether his attention has been called to the figures compiled by the United States Commerce Department, showing that United States trade with China has advanced 3 per cent. in the first four months of this year, while British trade has declined by 17 per cent. and Japanese by 25 per cent.; and whether he has any means of verifying or correcting these figures?
§ 21. Mr. WELLOCKasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Overseas Trade Department whether he can give figures showing the amount of trade carried on between China and the United States of America, and Japan and Great Britain, respectively, during the first four months of the present year and for the same period of last year?
§ Mr. A. M. SAMUEL (Secretary, Overseas Trade Department)As the reply involves a table of figures, I trust that the right hon. Member and the hon. Member for Stourbridge (Mr. Wellock) will permit me to circulate the answer in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Following is the answer:
§ The figures referred to appear to relate to the first quarter of 1927. For that period, as compared with the corresponding period in 1926, the totals of import and export trade with China for the three countries named were respectively:
| — | First Quarter1926. | First Quarter 1927. | Increase or decrease % |
| United Kingdom—million £ | 10.37 | 8.27 | - 20 |
| Japan—million yen | 281.5 | 212.3 | - 25 |
| United States—million $ | 74.3 | 80.1 | + 8 |
§ For the first four months of 1927 the figures of trade between the United States and China were:
| — | Jan.-April. 1926. | Jan.-April. 1927. | Increase %. | ||
| million $ | … | … | 101.1 | 103.8 | 3 |