Page 276 - Bahrain Gov Annual Reports (II)_Neat

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The increase in the quantity of rice is explained by the Government of
Bahrain’s purchase of a war reserve stock, part of which is at present in store against
contingencies. The import of wheat has more than doubled, while flour has
relatively decreased.
The consumption of rice by the poorer classes is decreasing in favour of the
wholemeal bread made from the cheap wheat exported from Iraq, which is steadily
increasing in popularity. Manufactured flour from India is also falling off as
against the competition of the cheaper flour from Iraq, which, however, is not so
clean as the Indian product and is thought to be mixed with barley flour. The
increasing consumption of Iraq flotir is due' to its cheapness. A local attempt to
mill flour, encouraged by Government, has proved a failure, as the quality of the
product was poor, and little enterprise was shown.
The traffic in sugar has undergone change, since the better kind of crystal
sugar has lost its market in favour of soft sugar which has re-captured its old-time
popularity, having become cheaper both in price and in transport expenses. The
export traffic in loaf sugar has completely fallen away, but a certain amount of soft
sugar continues to be exported to neighbouring countries.
The traffic in coffee has considerably increased, at the expense of tea, due to
a muoh cheaper brand of ‘Robusta’ coffee coming into the market, of an inferior
quality, and some increase in India in the price of tea due to speculation. But it is
to be noted with regret that the steady traffic in coffee from the Yemen, of the best
quality and therefore most expensive, has fallen away. In the local market for
any commodity, cheapness, not quality, is the main selling argument.
The decrease in the values of imported silk is offset by an increase in values
of imported cottons. Here again this .year, the prices of Japanese goods have some­
what increased, and Indian prices have increased by war speculation. Also, local
importers have increased their local stocks, fearing a further speculative rise in the
Indian market. It would be an exaggeration to say that Indian piece goods are
recapturing the market lost some years ago to the Japanese, but there 6eems an
indication that Indian piece goods are regaining favour with, the local consumer,
perhaps on account of their quality being superior to the Japanese brands.
The import of Manchester pieoe goods is slight, and does not affeot the
local market.

1 again submit the suggestion of local registration with legal sanction of
Trade Marks and Designs; as instances have occurred where British designs have
been oopied by Japanese factories for the local market, a dishonest trick which
involves some importers in a loss, for which at present they appear to have no
remedy.
The following is a comparison of the average annual unit values of some
principal commodities imported into Bahrain.