Why were British merchants dissatisfied with the Canton system?

British merchants were dissatisfied with the Canton system because it imposed severe restrictions on their commercial activities and personal freedoms. Under this system, foreign trade was confined exclusively to the port of Guangzhou, where merchants were restricted to a small riverbank area and subjected to numerous regulations, including prohibitions on firearms and the presence of foreign women.1

The system was also characterized by:
* Legal Insecurity: Traders were subject to Chinese law, which lacked protections such as the presumption of innocence and often involved arbitrary imprisonment or torture.1
* Economic Burdens: Ships faced various petty fees and exactions, and trade was monopolized by the cohong, a guild of officially authorized Chinese merchants.1
* Limited Access: The restriction of trade to a single port hindered British efforts to expand commerce into other regions of China.1

These frustrations intensified as private traders entered the market following the 1834 abolition of the East India Company monopoly, eventually contributing to the tensions that led to the Opium Wars.12