Page 409 - 1 Persian Trade rep Bahrain 1_Neat

3
EXPORTS.

Total
uf Gcnerxl Total
Year. Sped#. Pearl*. epodo xxerchamiis®. export*.
and
pearlt.
£ £ £ £ £
1917-18 5,106 317,992 323,168 404,035 817,248
1618-19 2,001 701.333 701,937 612,874. 1,317,811
Percentage of increwo or —3-23 + 120-66 + 11814 +24-04 +6124
decrease on preTion*
jear.

(2) Imports.—The total value of imports into Bahrain amounted to
£1.350,000 as compared with £1,607,019 in 1917-18 showing a decrease of
£256,9b9 or 15D3 per cent. The decrease is mainly in specie^ and pearls—the
former is due as mentioned above to severe restrictions against export from
India, while the latter is due partly to poor catch along the shores of the
mainland of Arabia (the pearls whereof are brought to Bahrain I to bo sold),
& a ud partly to non-dcclaratioa of import at the Customs. i
The slight increase of 1*40 per cent., in spite of general decrease in
quantity, under general merchandise is solely due to continued high prices of
all commodities during the year under report. Large quantities of China silk
piece-goods (re-exported from India) have it is suspected been labelled as
piece-goods in the manifests, in order to reduce the ad valorem duty.
Such have been valued in this report as “ piece-goods ** in the absence of
correct information. The decrease in piece-gocds is partly due to overstock
of it in the previous ye$tr and partly to less import due to high prices ruling,
(3) Export*.—The total value of exports for the year under report
amounted to £1,317,811 as against £817,248 in 1917-13, showing an increase
of £500,563 or 61*24 per cent. Export of specie lias further dropped by :
£1,562 or 3*23 per cent, on account of restriction against the export of specie
from India; consequently specie in Bahrain, which would ordinarily have
been shipped to India, was hoarded here till the pearl season when it was used
for the purchase of pearls. The increase under export of pearls amounts to
£383,311 or 116*14 per cent, which is nearly normal, as the decrease of the
previous year was shown to have been due to large quantity of pearls having
been shipped by native craft without value being declared at the Customs.
There is still a tendency on the part of some of the pearl merchants to under­
value their pearls shipped by steamers, in order to save in freight; also as
mentioned above a large number of pearls are surreptitiously carried by special
messengers who run down to Bombay during the season, and bring back specie
on their way up. The increase of 24*04 per cent, under general merchandise
is mainly due to rise in value.

ORIGIN OP IMPORTS.

Ibctbm*
Country. 1917-18. 1918-19. or
4cro«e.

India 80*31 60-70 + *39
Neighboring countries bordering on the Persian 19*58 1914 -*28

AH other foreign eonntrieo , . » • *17 *05 -•18