Printed papers on the political situation and military policy in Egypt [‎48v] (96/176)

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£E. 2.423,000. The bulk of this, 2,094.000 ardebs, went to the United Kingdom.
Cotton seed cake to the amount of 93,000 metric tons, valued at £E. 587,000, has been
exported as compared with 82,000 metric tons valued at £E. 595,000 in 1920. The
whole of this was taken by the United Kingdom.
Other Exports.
179. Owing to the relaxation of restrictions consequent on the arrival of rice
from the East, the exports of that commodity have increased from 4,071,000 kilog.,
valued at £E. 174,000, to 19,160,000 kilog., valued at £E. 482,000, of which Syria has
taken 6,505,000 kilog. and Palestine, 6,279,000 kilog. Exports of wheat have
increased from £E. 233 to £E. 203,000; lentils from £E. 3,000 to £E. 191,000; and
eggs from £E. 302,000 to £E. 340,000.
180. The controlled price of sugar in Egypt is now above the world price, and
exports have decreased from £E. 1.145,000 to £E. 313,000.
181. Exports of phosphates have decreased from £E. 416,000 to £E. 186,000,
untanned hides and skins from £E. 460,000 to £E. 164,000, leather from £E. 253,000
to £E. 157,000, and onions from £E. 544,000 to £E. 358,000; the quantities of the
last named of these commodities exported have, however, increased.
182. The cigarette trade has diminished from 446,000 kilog., valued at
£E. 951,000, to 398,000 kilog., valued at £E. 704,000. Palestine is the only country
which has increased her demand for Egyptian cigarettes, having taken 164,000
kilog. as against 10,000 kilog. in 1920. Holland with 41,000 kilog. and the Dutch
East Indies with 80,000 kilog. are the next largest consumers. The United Kingdom
has bought 19,000 kilog. instead of 41,000 kilog.
Distribution by Countries.
183. The share of the United Kingdom and British possessions in the export
trade of Egypt has increased from 44 per cent, to 48 per cent., and that of the United
States has fallen from 31 per cent, to 18 per cent. France comes next with 8 per
cent., followed by Germany, Japan and Switzerland with 4 per cent. Italy’s share
has again decreased from 4 per cent, to 3 per cent., but Palestine has increased from
less than 1 per cent, to 3 per cent.
Re-exports.
184. These have increased in value from £E. 2,552,000 to £E. 6,128,000. A
large factor in this increase is the re-export of cereals by the Department of Supplies.
Cereals, flour and other agricultural produce show a value of £E. 3,576,000, as
compared with only £E. 88.000 in 1920. Woollen and worsted cloths show an increase
in value from £E. 33,000 to £E. 128,000.
Change in the Valuation Basis for Cotton.
185. Since 1912 “ good fair " has been taken as the basis for fixing the price of
cotton and 3 per cent, has been deducted for tare. The Customs administration has
long thought that this gives a price which is lower than the average price at which
the cotton crop is sold, but, owing to lack of satisfactory proofs of its contention,
has been unable to alter its basis of estimation. It was only when the Cotton Control
Commission published statistics for the sale of the 1918-19 crop that such evidence
was obtained. After discussion with the Alexandria General Produce Association
in the light of this new evidence, the tariff was fixed from the 1st September, 1921, as
the mean between the prices of “ fully good fair ” and “good fair,’’ less 3 per cent,
for tare. The result of the measure has been an additional £E. 17,000 of revenue
from export duty on cotton during the last four months of this vear.
Trade with the Soudan.
186. Imports from the Soudan have decreased from £E. 2,287,000 to
£E. 923,000 and exports to the Soudan from £E. 3,954.000 to £E. 2,455,000. There
has been a large decrease in the import of animals and animal-food products from
£E. 1,024,000 to £E. 373,000, and of cereals, flour and agricultural produce from
£E. 804,000 to £E. 362,000. The export of wheat flour has fallen from £E. 114,000
to £E. 46,000, of refined cane sugar from £E. 1,099,000 to £E. 431,000, and of coffee
from £E. 176,000 to £E. 7,000.