In 1800, following the example of the Empress of China, the first American trading vessel to China, Astor traded furs, teas, and sandalwood with Canton in China, and greatly benefited from it.
Godine 1800, slijedeći primjer broda Empress of China (carica Kine) , prvog američkog trgovinskog broda u Kinu, Astor je počeo trgovati krznom, čajevima i sandalovinom s Kantonom u Kini, i uvelike se okoristio.