Page 175 - 5 Persian Trade rep BUSHIRE I_Neat

BUSHIRK. 13

dispose of it on the market- in Shiraz at a profit of 10 tomans (say 21.)
per chest, whereas the bond fide merchants have constantly lost that
amount or less on tea which has duly paid customs duty. The cause
of this smuggling lies in the prohibitive rates of duty on the ordinary
Calcutta tea fixed by the tariff of 1903, viz., 6 kraus (2s. 2d.) per
batman of GJ lbs. As the usual quality of Calcutta tea imported
costs \\ to G annas per lb. in the market, the duty is not much less
than 100 per cent. On the other hand, the other Gulf ports, Bahrein
and Koweit, charge duty at 5 per cent, only, while Dubai is practically
a free port. Normally this difference offers every opportunity to
smugglers, which the disorganised state of Government in Southern
Persia has of late rendered all the more easy. The interests of com­
merce demand preventive legislation to combat the loss caused by
smuggling both to the State and to its traders, but in view of the low
rates of duty prevailing in other non-Persian ports of the Gulf and
their proximity and the long line of sea coast for the customs to control,
the policy indicated is a reasonable reduction of the rates of duty into
Persia.
Bice.—The import benefited considerably by the high price of
wheat and comparative failure of the rains of 1908, the consumption
increasing from 14.059 to 24,550 cwts.
Busliire prices in 1908-09 :—
Kraus. *. (L s. <L
Bahrn rice ... Per 1J cwts. 41’ to 44 14 10 to 16 0
-Anberbo, best quality ... „ 124 lbs. 39 40 14 2 14 6

Candles.—The import of candles from Burma, chiefly for use in the
interior, rose still further from the estimated 2,600 cwts. in 1907-08
to 2,744 cwts. in 1908-09, and there are now very heavy stocks in hand.
The price per case is about 22 krans (85.).
Kerosene.—There are now three brands of oil on the market, from
the United States, Russian and Hungarian sources respectively, and
it has been seen that the last-named brand, of which 5,650 cwts.
were imported, can afford to sell at 1 kran (4\d.) per case of two tins
dearer and yet be able to compete successfully with the quality of
United States Standard ofl-
Prices ruled from 12 J to 14 krans per case.
Both the Hungarian and Russian oils are preferred to the United
States product from the point of view of quality:
Exports.—There had been a decrease of over 100,0001. in exports
from the port in 1907-08, and in 1908-09 a further decrease of 65,3941.,
from 497,9901. to 432,5961., occurred. Exports to the United Kingdom
alone decreased bv 102,2361.; the decrease was chiefly in opium, the
export to London having dropped by 94,0261. On the other hand the
export of the drug to China increased from 47,0771. in 1907-08 to
107,7141. in 1908-09. The share of India in the total exports rose
slightly from 17 to 22 per cent., but the proportion of nearly all the
other countries in the export trade was either stationary with that of
1907-08 or else showed a falling-off.
Prospects for all Persian products in 1909-10 have improved;
much depends, however, on the state of the roads.