Page 125 - 6 Persian Trade rep BUSHIRE 2_Neat

yrftdo Report of Bushlro for the Porslanjjncal yoar, 22ad March 1018 to 28th Maroh
Conditions affecting trade.—The trade of Bushire for the Persian year
Qui il from Bareli 20th, 1918-19 again shows a small increase of £81,470. The
adverse conditions referred to in last year’s report still continue to a great
extent, as, although the war nominally terminated on 11th November 1918,
about half-way through the year under review, war conditions continued to
tho end of the year. The principal adverse conditions were the excessive cost
and shortage ot European manu'actured articles, shortage and excessive cost of
gteamer freight; on tho other hand, the Bushire-Shiraz road was made safe
by the advance of British troops towards Shiraz, and this gave a fillip to trade
at the end of the year while the Sterling Exchange Talue of the Kran remained
high, which, of course, assisted importers.
Volume of trade.—During the year under review, although the total value
of trade only increased by £81,170, the value of imports went up by £507,271;
on the other hand, the value of exports was reduced by £425,801. Tho greater
portion of the increased value of imports seems to be duo to the increased value
of the articles imported, due to high initial cost and excessive freight charges
The hulk of the import trade—93 7 per cent.—is with India and the United
Kingdom, the former taking 77 42 per cent, and the latter 16*28 per cent.
The United Kingdom and India took 97 5 per cent, of the trade daring
1917-18, and so the proportion of the total import trade taken by the British
Empire during the year under review shows a slight falling off of nearly 4 per
cent, but this was to be expected after the war had ended and other countries
were able to resume trade. The competition will doubtless increase every
year. The two countries whose trade increased most were China and the
Dutch East Indies, but as at present these two countries have about 1*48 and
1*84, respectively, of the trade, they are not very formidable as yet.
Imports.—The main real increases of imports (i e., of weight imported)
as opposed to increases in value due to rise in cost, are in tea, wood, tissues of
silk, tissues of silk and cotton, candles, matches, butter, spices and unspecified
mineral products.
On the other hand, the value of imports of wool, tissues of wool, and of
wool and cotton show considerable increases, while the actual amount imported
shows decided diminution.
The value of indigo imported shows a considerable increase, while the actual
increase in amount imported is trifling.
It may be remarked that the total imports from Japan according to the
classification of this port, do not appear to amount to much. This is due to
the fact that no Japanese goods come direct to Bushire, but everything is
transhipment cargo from India and under the Persian Customs system are
shown as imported from India. This system makes the percentage of imports
shown under India abnormally high, and it is quite impossible to tell what
proportion of the goods, shown as imported from India, are in point of fact
manufactured in Japan or elsewhere.
Exports.—The exports during the year, on the other hand, show a decrease
of £425,801 or 61*8 per cent. The chief decreases were United Kingdom
£256,930, India £41,052, Singapore £113,946 and Honkong £36,762. This
first mentioned being due to a falling off in the export of opium and gum
tragaoantb, second to reduced export of skin and wool and the last two to
the export of opium falling from 164 tons to 37 tons; there was, however,
fta increase of £34,891 in exports to Mesopotamia, which was doubtless due to
mo more settled conditions prevailing, and chiefly consisted in wood for
building and sugar of all kinds.
Trade toith interior.—As mentioned above, during the year a British
Eorce had to move up to 8hiraz to relieve that place from attacks by hostile
tribesmen. As a result of the military operations, a light railwav was laid
between Busbire and Borasjun, about 40 miles, and a considerable portion
°f the Borasjun-Shiraz road was made passable for motor traffic.
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