瑞典东印度公司的对华贸易——以首航活动为中心的考察

Swedish East India Company's Trade with China--An Perspective Focusing on the First Voyage

瑞典东印度公司在18世纪中后期进行了以广州市场为中心的洲际跨洋贸易。瑞典商船每次于冬季携带铁、铜和木材等货物从哥德堡港出发,先航行至西班牙加的斯港,通过交易获得一部分西班牙银元。同时,由于瑞典商船所载的出口货物价值不足以大量购买中国茶叶等商品,瑞典人又以信贷方式通过佛兰德商人在加的斯赊借到另一笔银元,而后才驶向东方进行贸易。可以看出,瑞典东印度公司经营的是以哥德堡为起点、加的斯为中转、最后在广州进口中国商品的三方贸易,中途在加的斯停留是其对华贸易成功的关键一步。因此,瑞典东印度公司的贸易活动可以被视为铁—银—茶的交换过程。

The Swedish East India Company conducted intercontinental transoceanic trade centered on Canton market in the middle and late 18th century.Swedish ships carry domestic iron,copper,and timber from the port of Gothenburg every winter and sail to the port of Cadiz in Spain,where they obtain a portion of Spanish piasters through cargo transactions.However,the value of these exported goods carried by the Swedish ships was not enough to purchase Chinese goods like tea in large quantities,and the Swedes borrow another Spanish piaster in Cadiz by means of credit from Flemish merchants,then sailing to the east to trade.It can be seen that the operation of the Swedish East India Company starts from Gothenburg,Cadiz as a transit,and finally imports Chinese goods in Canton.The stopover in Cadiz is a key step for the successful trade with China.Therefore,the trading activities of the Swedish East India Company can be regarded as an iron-silver-tea exchange process.