'File 10/8 Overseas trade enquiries' [‎166r] (332/495)

2.
In tha light of such figures as ar? avaltlabli the total Arab
^oa=t i^orts of cotton piece goods would appser to a'lount in a 3°°
8O ^Vx),000 of which bj far the largest P^ortxon xs absorbed
by Bahrein; the principal entrepot for the nisrKets ^ ^ ^ 1
I'orth Eastern Arabia. Recent years nave seen th 3 rxc. of x
1 rucial >ian as a distributing centre of increasing inportanc ,. -n-
general trade potentialities of the ai-ea depend al^st exclusively upon
n«arl trace of the upper Gulf and a very mfc.rKed falling oil in tn.
import figures for 19S0-i981 may be anticipated owing to tne exception
ally depressed condition of this industry at tue P^^en^ v ^
Statistics of imports covering the period 1st April 192'/ to elst ..ai
1930 are given in the second appendix to tins repox o.
British Iinports .
It is not possible to give any accurate idea of tue extent of
British imports and the percentage figures givin in tne appendix are
rough estimtes only. They would suggest that British piece goods are
imported to th. value of some £50,000 only at the present time and
there has undoubtedly bem a considerable falling of: in -he ^st f.
years.
Foreign imports have increased very appreciably of late.
Japanese^ ItSia^ i^tch. Central Suropean and more ^oantl, Wen
roods have entered the market, which was formerxy supp-iea el ost ,x-
clusiv^l bv Indian a.id British products. If the Japanese maintain
their present rate of expansion they will soon be challenging tne indi-n
position as the principal suppliers of the market, ^ile Hussian goods,
which are just beginning to find their way into .to,an;, :tfy o. r.Ai.
on to afford competition which to all intents and purposes ignores
economic factors? It will not unlikely that with th. potions
loosed by Persia on all inserts the hissians mcy well Sv-Jc an
for their Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. shipments on the Arab boast.
Possibil it ies of an increas ed_•
There seems no likelihood of a general growth in demand in the
near future. The movement at present is all the othsr v ;ay and any
revival would benefit low quality cheap priced goods, such as Japan
supplies at present.