How much opium was imported into China each year by 1838?

By 1838, the amount of opium imported into China annually had grown to approximately 40,000 chests.1

This significant increase in the opium trade was a primary factor in the shifting economic balance between Great Britain and China, as it allowed the British to offset their chronic trade imbalance caused by the high demand for Chinese tea, silk, and porcelain. The widespread importation of the drug led to severe social and economic consequences within China, including rampant addiction and the corruption of officials, which ultimately contributed to the outbreak of the Opium Wars.123