Page 276 - 5 Persian Trade rep BUSHIRE I_Neat

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To To to China representing .a fall of 17 to 8 per rent
Diotiirr Total
mi r»h. Exports to Germany decreased £1,111, but import j
C'JL"\ PifC'-go'J*. Tons. Tons. Tori'. increased £11.895 or fn*m I to G per cent. Impi.ni
from Framedeclined £'j:3,r»i'T « r from II to8 jxr co*.
March K07-08 «J39 3,20*1 cliicllv sugar.
„ ltv'8 09 1,723 419 5.1-12
„ 1KO-IO 1,013 200 1,273 lni]>>rtn. Export*.
1910-11 1,304 7i9 2.033 £ £
9*
In connection with the insecurity nnd frequent 1900 1.323.003 710.334
impalpability on these Southern trade routes, and 1901 1,031,478 073,019
consequently the reduced import of Rritish goo<ls 1902 1,179,990 318.202
during the past 3 years, it may be noted that between 1903 870.803 3C0.CC4
March 1903-01) and 1W9*I0 there was an increase*! || 1904 SS9.S25 451.981
import of 1,318 tons Russian piece-goods into :J1 1903 701.932 409.999
Persia as against a decrease of 1,871 tons British I; 1903*07 . 803,812 698.421
goods. 1907 09 . 1,002,913 497.990
Illegal Exactions on Caravans. ' 1003**9 . 793,405 43 :,o:<
1909- 10 .
No steps wire taken by the Persian authorities 717,091 400,892
to remedy the levy of blackmail, which is such a 1910- 11 . 070,014 318,900
heavy charge, and reacts so unfavourably on trade
passing over the road to Shir.’./, and is the more jj Though tco much reliance cannot be placed on tl*
flagrant because the abolition of all exactions in the i Customs figures as regards accuracy of countries of
interior was one of the most important conditions of ,, the proportion of the total trade of the United
the Commercial Convention of 1903. Kingdom an 1 India Las remained fairly steady
These exactions have ri;en, according to the mule* Per ccnL
teers* statements,
10C-I 55
fr m Kru.s 3-70 j* r mule 'a June lf<i7 1C<G 59
to Kura 11-15 ,, .. January 1910, 1CK0-07 . C2
Kra.-J 10-8) „ „ June 1910, 1 SOT-OS . 77
Kraas 13 CO „ » OrloLcr 1910, 1 IK 3-09 . 70
Kn:;* 11-90 „ „ February 1911. 1 SCO-10 . G8
Thus on every ton of goods over a distance of only 1910-11 . 70
1:Q miles these sums amounted in 1910-11 to the
equivalent of 27*. 5d. to 3b. 7d., a very considerable The principal articles in which decreases occurred h
b irden. which seems almost beyond the power of 1910-11 were Imports:—Ic-.ligo, Tea, Loaf-sugar.
redress by the Central Government Rice and Specie- ExportsOpium, Almonds, Car­
pels and Skins.
Volume of Trade.
If the primary cause of the decrease in the com­
(Both imports ami exports suffered a still further merce of Buibirc during the year was the insccuritt
decrease on the abnormally low figures of 1909-10; prevalent idc-ng the main caravan routes, two other
in fact the import figures £673.014, are the lowset reasons have contributed largely towards the re­
recorded for many year*, and the export figures sult
£3-18,95*.*, have only once been less in 1902.
The proportion of the imports ascribed to the (i) The disappearance of second-class Persian
merchants and potty-traders from the
United Kngdom and India together continued to be field owing to insolvency, brought on bj
79 per cent as in 1909-10. but with this difference that a succession of had years.
the share of the United Kingdom recovered from 23
to 42 per cent imports from India falling from 51 to (if) Revival of smuggling along the coast
37 per cent In exports the proportion attributed to 3 jt has been shown that the Customs rev-
tie Imted Kingdom and India together was 61 per j! cnue from t,vc3 alone the shores of the GuH
cent, as against 57 per cent in 1909-10; separately | has diminished by more than £9,000 at Bushire alone,
tnc proportion of the Inited Kingdom increased from j and ^ £35,500 less than in 190S-09. Several articles
32 to 33 per cent, and of India from 25 to 28 per in tbc Customs Tariff are in urgent need of redaction.
wn^ and it will be noted that statistical decreases in 1910-
Thc most noticeable changes as regards other 11 occur in tfce import of tea and indigo—two article*
countries were a decrease of £40,188 export of opium • which are heavily taxed.