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Private company

Russell & Company

19th century American trading house in China

Russell & Company (Chinese: 旗昌洋行; pinyin: Qíchāng Yángháng; Jyutping: Kei4Coeng1 Joeng4Hong2) was the largest American trading house of the 19th century in China. It specialised in the trade of tea, silk, and opium, and was later involved in the maritime transport.2 It is headquartered in Guangzhou.1 It ceased to exist in 1891.1 Wikipedia text CC BY-SA 4.0

Last updated Oct 21, 2026.

Overview

1824Founded1
  • HeadquartersShanghai1
  • Legal formprivately held company1

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Russell Headquarters, Shamien Island by Lai Afong c1880
Photo: Lai Afong, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons3

Russell & Company (Chinese: 旗昌洋行; pinyin: Qíchāng Yángháng; Jyutping: Kei4Coeng1 Joeng4Hong2) was the largest American trading house of the 19th century in China. It specialised in the trade of tea, silk, and opium, and was later involved in the maritime transport.2

Products and brands

  • opium
  • tea

Listed on Wikidata.1

Timeline

  1. 1891Dissolved Dissolved1
  2. 1824Founded Founded1

Sources

The numbers on this page point here. Each one links to the record it came from.

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3