A Study On The Thirteen Hongs In Guangzhou And Early Sino-US Trade In The Qing Dynasty (1784-1844

From the arrival of Empress of China at Huangpu Port in Guangzhou in 1784,when the curtain of Sino-US trade was expanded,to the signing of Wangsha Treaty between the Qing Dynasty and the United States in 1844,the early Sino-US commercial relations experienced substantive changes.In 60 years,the early Sino-US commercial relations showed characteristics of stages and complexity.In the initial stage of commerce and trade(1784-1790),the trade organization structure of the United States to China was relatively primitive,and the commodity structure was simple and fragile.Among them,the Thirteen Hongs of Guangzhou took the initiative in trade with their strong economic strength and broad market.In the development stage of commerce(1791-1812),the United States,relying on the war in Europe,fur trade on the northwest coast of America and other opportunities,constantly eroded the British East India Company and European countries’ trade share in China,and expanded its own trade share in China.Affected by the regulations of the Qing government,the government’s demand for bribes and the crisis of the merchants’ debt,some of the merchants of the Thirteen Guangzhou Hongs gradually realized the importance of the American merchants in Guangzhou port,and even gave up the discount to gain the trade opportunities.During the prosperous period of commerce and trade(1815-1838),although the trade volume between China and the United States was generally on the rise,great changes took place between Guangzhou Thirteen Hongs and American merchants in terms of business organization structure,commodity structure and trade payment structure.On the one hand,American merchants rapidly expanded their trade in China through "structural upgrading".On the other hand,the cumbersome foreign trade system of Guangzhou Thirteen Hongs seriously restricts its further development,and promotes the constant outbreak of business debt crisis.In the later period of commerce(1839-1844),American merchants took the opportunity of the "Opium War" to deal with the British government,the Qing government,the United States Congress and other parties,and tried their best to seek the maximum interests in China.However,Guangzhou Thirteen Hongs suffered a major blow due to the decrease of trade and war reparations,and most of the Hongs were burdened with high debts and could not survive.Afterwards,the Treaty of Nanjing and the Treaty of Wangsha made Guangzhou Thirteen Hongs fall victim to the political struggle between China and foreign countries.