Page 482 - 6 Persian Trade rep BUSHIRE 2_Neat

K
llansa steamers obtained good cargoes both on the imvard and out­
ward voyages They bronchi principally loaf sugar. glassware, stool
shoots and iron bars from Antwerp and general morobandiso from
Hamburg and took away grain and dates from Basra and dates,
dried fruits, cotton and gum from the Persian ports. Formerly
machinery and material from the United States of America for
the Bahrain Petroleum Ho. Bid., wore transhipped at Hamburg
and brought to Bahrain by Hansa steamers but latterly such con­
signments have been transhipped at a United Kingdom port ana
brought by St rick steamers.

Towards the end of 1033 Japanese steamers made their first
appearance and since then some six or seven steamers have made
trips to the Gulf. Their principal cargoes were cement for Basra
and Mohammerah, cement and rice for Kuwait, Bahrain and
Muscat, and piece goods, cement and glassware for Mohammerah.
Complaints have been made against Japanese traders both in Persia
and 'Iraq that they import without exporting and the absence of
cargo for the return journey may cause their shipping to fail, as
Soviet Union shipping has failed. Latterly, however, Japanese
steamers have been taking large quantities of raw cotton from
Mohaininerali and, if this continues, it is possible tluit the difficulty
will bo overcome.
Swedish steamers brought cement and railway material to Bandar
Sliahpur and cement to Basra, where it was reported that it was
proposed to send out a steamer to the Gulf once every month.
An Italian shipping compam started a two monthh service
to the Gulf ports early in 1D3J to he carried out hv the motor
vessel " Assiria ’. Cargoes consisted mostly of Yugo-Slav cement
and Austrian sugar.
In spite of foreign competition. British shipping appeared to lx*
holding its own and it will he noticed from the table, of shipping
for Bushin* which is annexed that British ships carried over 50 per
c«*nt. of the total number of packages imported into and approxi­
mately 8f> per cent, of the total number of packages exported from
that port in tin* year 1033-31.
An important part of the trade of the Gulf is carried on by native
sailing vessels.