Page 487 - 6 Persian Trade rep BUSHIRE 2_Neat

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Ton mill's to the south-east ol Mohammerah on the left hank of
the iSImtt-al-Arah is Abadan, whore the refiners and oflires of t.he
-\nglo-Persian Oil Company are situated, whilst some 40 miles to the
east on the Klior Musa is the new port of Bandar Shahpur.
A few years ago it. was thought that the development of .Bandar
Shahpur might <leprive Mohannncrah of its importance, hut such
a contingency in now considered unlikely, at any rate for some years
to come, in view of the still inadequate arrangements for landing and
transporting cargo at the former port. At present Bandar Shahpur
is used almost exclusively for importing Government material and
stores, whilst almost all general cargo passes through Mohammcrah.
Landing facilities.—Steamers with cargo for Mohnmmerah and
Ahwaz anchor in the Shatt-al-Arah and discharge into barges and
dhows which convey their loads, if they are for Mohnmmerah, to
the Customs' jetty for examination and subsequent forwarding up
country by rail or river, if they arc for Ahwaz. by river direct to the
Customs house in Ahwaz.

Transport.—Kates of transport vary according to the season and
are considerably higher in winter than in summer. The normal rate
between Mohammerah and Tehran by lorry lies between 180 Rials
and *200 Rials per kharvar, whilst goods forwarded by river to
Ahwaz, by rail from Ahwaz to Knlehabnd. the present rail head,
and by road from there to Tehran cost, approximately 20 Rials less
per kharvar but take from K1 to lo days to reach their destination
as compared with 5 days by lorry all the way.
Trade.— Although general trade conditions in Mohammerah are
probably better than in other Persian ports in the Gulf, merchants
here, as elsewhere, found themselves severely restricted by the
(iovernment regulal ions.
Apart from the activities of the Anglo-Persian Oil On., which lie
outside the scope of this report, there are no important industries in
the district.
There is an occasional demand for machinery such as electric
generating plant. motor boat engines*, cranes, water pumps, etc., and
m this line .British goods are generalh preferred on account of their
.superior quality, but it must be remembered that foreign machinery
is also available and that price is as often as not the factor which
determines the placing of an order. In Mohammerah itself there
has been talk of establishing Hour mills, also of importing machinery
for soaj) making and the weaving of woollen goods.

Imports.— Pieeegoods are imported in large quantities from
Japan, sometimes in exchange for raw cotton, and in lesser quanti­
ties from India- and the United Kingdom. Tea comes from