Correspondence of J.H. Keswick, Matheson & Co. Ltd, regarding tea, 11 June-28 September 1936. The principal correspondents are Dr W.C. Chen, Councillor to the Chinese Embassy, London; W.S. King, Harrisons & Crosfield Ltd, London; Philip S. Witham, Charles Hope & Son, London; and Young Yu, Chinese Bureau of Agriculture, London. There are also many related papers, including a memorandum on the Keemun Tea Crisis; a 'Statement of American Tea Business 1935-6' by Balfour, Guthrie & Co. Ltd, New York, 10 July 1936; a memorandum on tea by W.S. King, enclosed with a letter to Keswick of 15 July 1936; tables relating to annual exports of tea from producing countries and tea consumption in the U.K.; a memorandum on China teas by Keswick, enclosed with a letter to Dr Quo Tai Chi, Chinese Ambassador, London, 7 September 1936; and a memorandum by W.S. King on China Black Tea, enclosed with a letter to Keswick of 8 September 1936.

Loose inside the file is a sheet containing manuscript tables of the annual exports of tea from producing countries for 1912-1935, the percentage of exports supplied by each country during these years, the consumption of Ceylon and Java tea and of China tea in the U.K. for 1923-1935, exports from producing countries to the U.S.A. for 1923-1934 (marked 'cancelled'), exports of Japan black tea to the U.S.A. and Canada for 1933/4 to 1935/6 (marked 'cancelled'), and exports from producing countries to the U.S.A. and Canada for 1924-1935; a 'Table showing Imports, Total Deliveries, Stock, Average Months' Supply and Duty for all Descriptions of Tea in the United Kingdom for the past 37 Calendar Years' by Lloyd, Matheson & Carritt, London, covering the years 1899-1935; a booklet of 'Tea Statistics, 1936' by Lloyd, Matheson & Carritt; and two cuttings on the Tea Restriction Export Quota, 1937.

The ring-binder is labelled 'Tea (Correspondence by J.H. Keswick)'.