經濟危機中的中國捲煙市場（1931-1936）

The Chinese Cigarette Market during Economic Crisis, 1931-1936

在1930年代的經濟危機中，中國捲煙市場的供需雙方都發生了顯著變化。由於購買力大幅衰退，捲煙消費者主要採取了兩種危機應對策略：其一，減少機製捲煙的消費量，甚至徹底戒吸機製捲煙，受此影響，1930年代中期浙江等捲煙工業不發達的地區廣泛爆發了禁吸捲煙運動；其二，轉而消費更為廉價的機製捲煙或替代品，這種低廉化的消費趨勢在挑戰英美煙公司在華產品銷量與市場佔有率的同時，也給具有價格優勢的華資捲煙廠商創造了發展機遇。然而，南京國民政府的捲煙統稅制度和限定捲煙業設廠地點的規定，制約了華資機製捲煙企業的利潤空間。當機製捲煙礙於稅制的束縛，無法滿足消費者對次級廉價捲煙的需求時，不受統稅約束且技術和資本門檻較低的手工土製捲煙業趁勢而起，填補了機製捲煙業留下的市場真空。正因為捲煙的供需雙方都對外部環境的變化做出了及時調適，中國的捲煙消費總量在1930年代的經濟危機中依然居高不下。

During the economic crisis of the 1930s, both suppliers and consumers in the Chinese cigarette market changed significantly. Due to the great decline of their purchasing power, cigarette consumers mainly adopted two strategies to respond to the economic crisis. First, people tried to cut off their consumption of machine-made cigarettes. As a result, anti-cigarette campaigns broke out widely in rural areas where cigarette industries were undeveloped during the mid-1930s. Second, consumers turned to cheaper cigarettes or alternatives. This preference for cheaper cigarettes challenged the sales and market share of British American Tobacco, while creating development opportunities for Chinese cigarette manufacturers. However, the profit margins of Chinese cigarette companies were restricted by the consolidated tax system being imposed by the Nationalist government. Under the heavy burden of the cigarette tax, machine-made cigarettes could not meet the demand for cheap cigarettes. Thus cigarette hand rollers enjoying the duty-free policy expanded their business by filling the market vacuum. Because both consumers and suppliers nimbly adapted to the change of the external environment, the total consumption of cigarettes remained high throughout the 1930s economic crisis.