Page 525 - PERSIAN 4 1899_1905

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RESIDENCY AND MASKAT POLITICAL AGENCY FOR THE YEAR 1903*1001.

Part VI.—TRADE REPORT OP BUNDER ABBAS FOR THE YEAR
1903.
1. The year 1903 has been a good one for Bunder Abbas, Thcro was a Gonorai
Romark
better rainfall, and consequently tlio condition of the people improved. This has
reacted on tho imports which show a marked improvement. The imports for
1903 amount to £119,115 against £399,291 last year, and an average of
£-130,991 for tho past five years. Tho exports have increased also, owiDg princi­
pally* to the abolition of export duty on the principal commodities. The
exports for 1903 amount to £138,632 against £97,331 in 1902, and £118,499
average export for the past five years.
Great Britain and India supply 72 per cent, of the imports and 53 per
cent, of the exports of the port.
The substitution of a complicated tariff by weight in lien of the old 5 per
cent, ad valorem tariff does not seem to have affected the trade of this port
till towards the end of tho year under review, when trade became very
depressed.
2. The opening for export of sulphur suggested in last year’s report seems Openings for
impracticable; the mines are farmed as a monopoly and are some distance from Britlsh Trade*
tbo coast, the cost of carriage is great, consequently the rates for shipping the
sulphur are prohibitive.
There should be an opening for direct trade in Kerman carpets via
Bunder Abbas to England.
There is a considerable export of raw cotton and wool, almonds, raisins, and
asafeetida from this port. All these articles are free from export duty under
the new tariff, and British Indian merchants might, perhaps, turn their atten­
tion to developing this trade with advantage, whenever the Indian market
seems favourable for these commodities.
3. Bunder Abbas is primarily the port of entry for goods for Kerman, Histakea of
Yezd, and Central and Eastern Persia. Caravans also proceed to SeUtan and British .
Meshed. There is practically no local market, so that merchants trading with their^oreign*
this port should study the markets of Central Persia and the Consular reports Competitor*,
from Yezd and Kerman to ascertain their mistakes, if any, and what articles
are in demand.
4. The import of tea from Java appears to be steadily increasing. The Progress of
reason for this increase is not clear, but as any such increase must be at the Bival T^d©-
expense of Indian and Ceylon tea, Indian tea merchants might well look into
the matter. A considerable quantity of the Java tea is “white tea,” which is
preferred to black tea by the better class Persians.
Pour steamers of the newly established Russian line from Odessa to the
Persian Gulf Ports called at Bunder Abbas during the year and brought a
considerable quantity of petroleum and sugar to this port The sugar is.
cheap but of poor quality and is not appreciated by the people, who prefer
French sugar. Russian kerosine seems to have always been used in the Persian
Gulf, but was previously brought in British vessels.
6. The arrangements for landing cargoes are still very unsatisfactory. Difficulties in
Thefts from lighters are frequent; the customs pier and godowns offer verytho of
poor facilities for landing and storing goods, and finally the charges for landing,trado*
carriage, and storage are vory high. The security of goods after receipt by the
Agents of the Customs Department has greatly improved during the past year,
and it may be hoped that cheaper and better arrangements for landing and-
storing goods will shortly be made by the Customs Department, as the matter
is under consideration.
Sugar, grain, flour, etc., in sacks are the commodities principally stolen from
lighters. A considerable quantity may be removed without any chance of
detection by piercing the sack with a fine-pointed sooop.
Some form of cheap bag which reduces the possibilities of this method mar
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