'Handbook of Yemen' [‎25r] (54/190)

r ers at Hodeial.
turbed area just ^ I-—TRADE.
Jott with strip r
table for stawk
Mce-famous for The trade of Yemen has declined in recent years, fot
reasons stated elsewhere. The only port of any real com
mercial importance is Hodeidah ; but, even there, trade is
ie into sandals not so brisk as formerly, or was not, up to the outbreak
i other centres, of war. Till then Aden was found a surer outlet for products,
tie larger up- largely because the caravan routes leading thither were
)ts, which are less liable to tribal disturbances and raids. The conditions
3 of the cold. may, however, be entirely changed now. Nearly all the
coffee went to Aden. Mokhah, once the centre of the
,t Menikkh, coffee trade, no longer holds any position as a trading
lone entirely port. The other local coasting and fishing villages are:
Loheiah, Salif, Ras Katib, Ghuleifakah, El-Jah (a landing
place for slaves), Mersa el-Majalis (a good harbour for small,
us for to boats), Yakhtul, and Musa. In 1909 the value of imports
ae industry at Hodeidah was £650,000, and that of exports £400,000.
mils. Before the blockade, the chief articles of export—in fact,
the only ones worth considering—were hides, skins, coffee,
aall amount and fuller's earth. Coffee, which used to be the mainstay,
f fuel makes j s now ousted by hides and skins. For coffee, France was
been known the best customer ; then the United States, with Great
was panted Britain as a bad third. Hides and skins (the latter largely
jxperimental from Asir) went chiefly to New York, Marseilles, and
t occurs at London. The imports were cereals, rice, and other food-
:an Islands, stuffs from India ; and a long way behind these come
the control sheetings, cotton piece-goods, and yarn from the United
salt goes to States and Manchester, petroleum from the United States
iland. Fine and Russia, iron and steel for smithy purposes from Ger-
n, are foimd many, and general stores, silk, and condiments from Italy
and Austria. Imports pay, under the Turkish regime, an
eleven per cent ad valorem duty, of which eight per cent
may be paid in kind with a rebate of ten per cent if cash is
paid ; the remaining three per cent must be paid in cash,
without rebate. Exports pay one per cent duty, either in
cash or in kind.