Page 101 - 2 Persian Trade rep Bahrain 2_Neat

Report on the Trade of the Bahrain Islands for the year ended

31st March 1931.

Introduction. 7he following table show* the novc-raert* of
general mercluadixc ta compared wkh Peaxia and
The Indepen lent Arab Principality of Bahrain Specie :—
consists of a pnup of islands off the East coast of
Arabia. The S:ato is under Britiih protection but Imports.
is not a protectorate.
A general d'seription of the physical, political Total
of
ToUJ
and commercial peculiarities of the Islands is guvea T tar. Speae^ rtuie. Peart* Cm. teBKW.
a tkJ
in the Report 5or the year 1911-12 (Annual Series Specie.
No. 5032). Tbi pcrman*iJit population is estimated
at 115,000. £ l S l £
11.0 ci 3,144^20 lyjo.csc
jsriWo 57*029 585.872
Trade. 1931-31 Kl 537 13,6>» 125,137 X2.384 1&S7JSU
Prr»TJ-j»< of -60-9 -r*l-7 -;w -28-4 —137
Toe total valw of the trade amounted to £l,651.553 iiiT*.-e a
aa compared sit a £2.818,257 in 1929-3Q, sbjwring
a decrease of £1,126,699 or.39;9 per cent.
The total vahe of Imparts amounted to £1,037,324 Exports.
a.* against £1.9)0.692 in 1929-30, shearing a dtereaw
of £S43,168 cr 43*7 per cent. The decrease ia Total
o
t
OftfTlI
cbi-fly due to the worldwide fall its prices of com­ Tear. ftartt- hcarU JErrvhaa- Total
modities but oving f> th-e tightness of ready m»*«n<y Specie. lng>ont
and
and the slump in the pearl trade actual iur.ions
have decreased and the market for better class goods
£ t t l £
is at a 8tand-stil.
3925-30 1E1.922 1141,275 *33.200 issues ^o7J«
Since pearls arc a lujcury, and are only b>ught 375,792
when other wonts have been satisfied, the degres­ 3933-31 liw.570 42.S72 228,242 9W.U34
sion has been f«-lt acutely in Bahrain, which is Po-»ITtiK Of —4 3 —319 —3l-» —319
niT«-« or
almost entirely dependent on the pearl trade for flsrrt**.
a living.
It will be seen that Cotton goods valued at £73,958 Since many Pearls leaving Bahrain are x<T de­
arc shown as imported from Indian This j« mis­ clared and very few declared at their correct value,
leading as the bulk of the cargo imported from it is impolitic to give exact figures for their Ex*
the United Kingdom arrives rid India and conse­ pert, but the xmount ia variously estimated berrweea
quently appears under this bcadiu^, and aba a oxe-and-a-hali and two million pounds in nurml
quantity of Japanese piccegoods. yuan.
Customs.
Pearl Industry. The Tariff is fixed by Treaty ax 5 per err*, cd
A general description, of this Industry is given vaort/n on all imports. In June 155) on the advice
in this Agency Trade Report for the year 1927-28. of the Government of India the tar on goods lamded
at Bahrain in transit tor the mainland was reduced
frtm 5 per cent, to 2 per cent, as which figure
it formerly itood. Expert duty of Rs. 10 pet
Exports.
bundle of hides and Ra. 2 per bidet of does is
The total vahe of Exports during the year amount- charged. TU Customs work is carried on by s
<4 to £004.054 as against £867r565 in 1529-3) European Director of Custopu under the ordta
showing a decrease of £283,531 or SI-9 per otas. of she Ruler of Bahrain