Page 611 - PERSIAN 8 1931_1940_Neat

5
The* usual congestion of goods in the Customs appeared to have been some-
•what reduced by the end of the year. Monopoly imports, such as motor lorries,
spare parts, and tyres, suffered the least delay, but. the clearance of all goods
has been assisted since it was ruled, at the end of 1938 or early in 1939, that a
special import permit need no longer be obtained ; a document of sanction,
(mawatiqatnameh) alone is now sufficient. At the end of 1939 importers woro
granted another concession by the removal of the ban on the purchase of foreign
exchange except at. the official rates. As, however, the ban itself was never very
effective, the value of its removal may also be limited, except that the help of
banks may now be invoked in the task of finding sellers of foreign exchange at
the market rate.
Freight charges by sea have risen by 30 per cent, to 50 per cent, since the
war. It is perhaps possible that the increase which this will cause in the cost
of Iranian exports may reduce the demand, never very keen, for certain third
category goods.
Ship piny.
(a) British.
The number of British ships calling at Bushirc has diminished, as shown
in Table ‘ A \ from 182 in 1938 to 151 in 1939, chiefly because in March tho
British India fast mails ceased to visit Bushirc. The slow mail service conti­
nued as usual with two calls weekly throughout the year. In Table ‘ A ’ the
number of British India ships is given as 112, but a few of these belonged to
tho Ellerman and Bucknall lines, and, with 39 Strick ships, were the only
British ships which provided a direct service to Europe. Vessels of theso
lines, as might be expected, have called somewhat less frequently since the war
began.
British ships, in spite of their decrease in number, have improved their
position in the carrying trade this year. They took a greater quantity of
exports than last year, and raised their share of the total imports to one half.
For the immediate future the prospects of the British India line are
especially good. They alone run between India and the Gulf a service which is
both frequent and regular, and although in the last four months of the year tho
volume of their imports to Bushirc did not increase, they were able to export, to
India during this period a certain quantity of goods for transhipment, which in
normal circumstances would probably have been carried diroct to Europe or
America in Gonnan ships.
(b) Foreign.
(i) German.—The war interrupted a period of increasing activity for tho
Hansa line. In the whole of last year, their imports amounted to 15,103 tons
and their exports to 5,095 tons. This year, in the first eight months alone,
thirty four Hansa ships visited Bushirc, importing 12,064 tons ami exporting
8,540 tons : in fact apart from opium, they monopolised the entire export trade
amongst foreign steamers. It remains to be seen whether trade through Bushire
will suffer any large decrease owing to the total cessation of German shipping* ;
some loss must be expected, since goods formerly exported to Germany by sea
arc, it is said, now being sent by land.
Hansa line imports included motor cars brought direct from the the United
States of America, loaf sugar from Holland and Egypt, glassware from Belgium,
and allumiuium, iron and machinery from Germany.
The German agent, Herr Plate, left Bushlro for Ahwaz in December, and
Mirza Khalil Dashtv became agent for the Mitsui and Java Pacific lines in his.
place.
(ii) Japanese.—The Mitsui and Yamashita lines continued to call.
Twenty-four of their steamers imported 5,114 tons of goods, a very great
increase over last year’s total of 1,141 tons. The imports consisted chiefly of
pieccgoods, glassware, tea and general merchandise. They exported aoout 500
tens of opium and 197 tons of general goods.
(iii) Dutch..—Dutch steamers of the Java Pacific line have again be^un to
make an appeurancc ; during the year, three vessels imported 1,592 tons of
goods, mostly sugar and tea, but their exports were confined to 30 tons of
opium.
(iv) JJntltid States of -4werica.-,Threo steamers of the Isthmian Steam-
snip lmo imported 278 tons of goods, all during the last four months of tho
year. One of the chief consignments consisted of 350 Chevrolet trucks : most
L(»81EAD