Page 326 - 4 Persian Trade rep KUWAIT 2_Neat

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PART IL
(A) Trade. to-day, as the chief exporter <6 nuoufacturcd goods,
General Conditions.—At the present time Kuwait into Kuwait. Russian matches, piece goods, etc.,
is passing through a stage of transition from a had flooded the market when they fi^t made their
Bedouin to a more or less modern town. People’s appearance here in 1930. But we the advent*- *
wants are definitely increasing and becoming diverse Japanese goods, the Russian trade has rapiJ.y
in character. The change has been all the more diminished until at the present moment it can li
rapid since the opening up of the overland route to said for practical purposes to baTe ceased to exist.
Iraq. Similarly the advent of Imperial Airways As regards the prices of the goods exported by the
on the Arab side of the Gulf and the fact that Kuwait two countries mentioned there was practically no
has become a regular port of call for the East and difference. So the overwhelming success of the
Westbound aircraft, have also lmd a considerable Japanese can only he ascribed t» the superiority
civilising effect on the Kuwait population as a whole. of their trading methods.
2. Kuwait, which grows neither wheat, barley, 8. Japanese.—Japanese goods continue to retain
rice, dates, the staple food nct-ds of the Arab, pro­ their popularity almost to the exclusion of those
duces nothing to meet her own needs: for all her of all other nationalities. The quality of most of
requirements she depends on foreign countries. their goods is inferior and often tad but they possess
India supplies Kuwait with most of her foodstuffs, the nil important advantage of extreme cheapness.
i.e., rice, sugar, tea, flour, etc.; Japan with piece The majority of the inhabitants of Kuwait earn
goods, hardware and a large variety of miscellaneous little more than suffices to eke ott a bare existence.
article?, etc.; and Iraq with wheat, barley, dates, To be readily saleable therefore everything most
tobacco, cigarettes, articles of earthenwares, etc. be of the lowest possible price whatever its quality
or lasting properties may be.
3. In addition to the requirements of the popula­
tion of the town itself—estimated to be some 60.000 9. Japanese Methods.—Japanese seem to have
souls, and of her nomad tribes numbering about made it a point of thoroughly studying their markets
20,000 Kuwait imports large quantities of food­ before sending goods. They often send their travel­
stuffs which find their way into the territories of ling agents to observe minutely the tastes and
neighbouring States and help to support the great peculiar needs of the people of the particular place
Bedouin tribes of North East Arabia and of the to which they want to send their goods. •
Southern desert of Iraq. This fact coupled to the One of the biggest Japanese firms, has recently
advantage of possessing a fine natural harbour (one appointed a local Persian pa their agent for Kuwait.
of the best in the Gulf) makes Kuwait an important
Most of the trade which Japan is done through
trade centre on the Arab side of the Persian Gulf. agents in Bombay or Karachi xad only a small
4. New Items of Trade.—The chief new item of amount is done direct.
trade is that in electric goods. An electric plant Japanese steamers have since 1934 started com­
has recently been installed in the Town. The ing to the Persian Gulf. The first Japanese steamer
venture seems so far to be a definite success, and to visit Kuwait was S. 8. Y»t*hS\ia Maru, which
the number of houses which are being installed with called here on 11th January 1334. She landed
electric light shows a steady increase. There should 5005 bags of Japanese cement, which was sold at
be therefore a good demand in the future for all a wholesale rate of Rs. 20 per JO bags and at a
sorts of electric apparatus and accessories. The retail Tate of Rs. 1-4 per bag, as against Rs. 2 per
current supplied is D. C. and the voltage 220.
bag of Portland cement.
5. Other articles are :— The Master of the above steamer came ashore and
(а) Cycles and Motor Cycles, saw several of the well known merchants of the town
(б) Canvas and leather shoes, and generally went out of his war to make himself
(c) Cutlery, pleasant. His general bearing arid nice manners on
(d) Shirting Cloth, etc. shore made an excellent impression.
6. Growth of Foreign Cam-petition.—Of late years, 10. To sum up, Japanese good* with the exception
foreign competition has grown to a formidable of a few items, are at present at the climax of popu­
extent in tbe Kuwait market. The latest and most larity in the local market, though there is a small
formidable entrant in the field being Japan. Italian, recti on of well-to-do class of peojJte with whom the
German and Russian goods have in turn had their term “ Japanese ” has come to be, after personal
day and practically disappeared. At present experience, a synonym for inferior quality, AJ-
Japanese goods alone preponderate over all others though the number of 6uch peopk u inconsiderable,
in the local bazaars. yet the very fact of their shoring a tendency to
7. The Russians.—A couple of yean ago Russia prefer British or the United States goods instead
occupied the same relative position as Japan does of Japanese is significant and can perhaps be takes