Page 493 - 6 Persian Trade rep BUSHIRE 2_Neat

io
Currency, Banking, etc. 'I’ll- induih ru pci «o! ms the- hsii-i- or ;ill
commercial transactions. Tin* average rate <>i exchange during
1933-34 was Rupees .1,3-10 per one hundred pounds sterling There
is a branch of the Eastern Bank 1 limited In Manama, which
transacts all classes of business, a branch oflici ot tin Mesopotamia
Persia Corporation Limited, who also act as agents for Imperial
Airways, a post office and a wireless station
Trade.—Tlib total value of trade during ihc year (‘tided the
31st March, 1934, amounted to .Rujices JG,0*20,8JO and showed a
slight increase over the figure for the previous year, Imjxirts
actually decreased from Rupees 0,77*2,300 to "Rupees 9.275,0*10 hut
exports increased from Rupees (>,001.213 to Rupees 0,751,K()0
making a total increase of Rujx*es 103.270.
rrhe following table shows the value in rupees of imports from the
principal countries during the last three years
15*51-52. 1952-35. 15*55-54.
India ... 5.711,970 I ,845), 4<>() 4,244.55)0
Arabia 811,15)0 5)55,4(X) 5)25,240
'Iraq ... 847,290 (>(>7.020 854,920
Japan 500,870 777.520 851,510
Persia 720.040 •Kill. 200 €>00.140
Great Britain 45*0,820 (>70,'.*,SO 401,700
Ji will be noticed that although Indian ini|x>rts still predominate,
they show a big decline as compared with previous yeais; Japanese
imports show a steady increase, whilst Tinted Kingdom imjiorts
have decreased by over a third in the past year.
Imports.—Rice, cotton goods and specie in the order mentioned
are the chief items of iin|X)t*t. India continues to he the almost sole
importers of rice, though recently some 35.000 hags have been
brought to Bahrain by Japanese steamers and sell in the bazaar
as Japanese rice. This rice, however, is reported to have originally
been bought from India 'by Japan in view of a threatened famine
and subsequently re-exported when there was found to ho an un­
expected surplus. In September. 1031, it was selling at
0 Rupees 4 annas for a hag of 2IS lbs. and was cheaper than
Calcutta rice which cost the same amount for a hag of 3 02 lbs.
India, Japan and the United Kingdom shared the import of cotton
goods, hut the value of United Kingdom imports fell from
Rupees 442,500 in 1032-33 to Rupees 2OS.40U in 3033-34. 'Flu*
corresponding figures for Japanese ini|x>rts were Rujx'cs 558,410
and Rupees 480,340 and for Indian imports Rupees 004.000 and.
Rupees G40,5(.K).
Specie was mostly imported from India and ’Iraq.

Exports.—The principal exports in order of importance in
1933-34 were gold, rice, cotton goods, pearls and specie and the
principal countries to which exported, Arabia and India.