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The Customs’ Gazette, published by order of the Inspector General of Customs of China in Shanghai, provided quarterly reports on trade that were prepared and submitted by various custom houses based across the country. This statistical and narrative information provided the central Chinese government with an in-depth analysis on trade. The Gazette also provided insights into local and regional economic and social conditions, policing of customs and trade, and conditions at Treaty Ports.

The Maritime Customs Service of China produced a huge number of publications from 1859 to 1949 under six series: Statistical Series, Special Series, Miscellaneous Series, Service Series, Office Series, and Inspectorate Series. Out of these, the Statistical Series boasted the largest output. This collection is sourced from the Second Historical Archives of China in Nanjing and incorporates the core of the Statistical Series, including a) Returns of the Import and Export Trade (or Returns of the trade), 1859–1866 b) Returns of Trade at the Treaty Ports in China, 1867–1881 c) Returns of Trade at theTreaty Ports and Trade Report, 1882–1919 d) Foreign Trade of China, 1920–1931 e) The Trade of China, 1932–1948 f) Decennial Reports on the Trade, Industries, etc., of the Ports Open to Foreign Commerce, and on the Condition and Development of the Treaty Port Provinces, 1882–1931 g) Annual Returns of the Foreign Trade of Manchoukuo, 1932–1936 h) Monthly Returns of the Foreign Trade of Manchoukuo, January 1938–September 1940. These publications together provide usable data for the study of Chinese trade and economy during 1859 to 1949.