"تقارير إداري عن الخليج الفارسي لعام ١٩٣٢‎" [ظ‎‎٥‎٥‎٧] (٧٢/١٨)

io
market, the following estimate, furnished by a reliable local authority, tends
to confirm this report.
Cases.
1931 crop: approximately ,> .. 7,500
1932 crop : approximately . ^ • 2,500
total ... 10,000
Exports about .. ^- 3,000
Stocks in hand .; .. . •■ * * 5,800
In merchants go-downs .. 1,000—1,500
—There Iiave been fairly extensive shipments of gum, principally is
view of their value in export certificates although there was a sharp demand
from Germany for lower qualities towards the end of the year.
Imports,
Sugar .—The import of sugar iuto Persia is a monopoly of the Russians,
but deliveries have been erratic and prices have shown a tendency to increase.
Matches also are now controlled by a Russian monopoly and short deliveries
of inferior qualities have caused some profiteering in spite of a controlled official
price.
Piece-goods .—Cotton piece-goods form an important item in the Persian
market which has been flooded with cheap Japanese goods of a design suitable
to Persian tastes. The Russians, who previously had practically driven British
(Lancashire and Indian) goods from the market found themselves in turn,
unable to compete in spite of price-reductions and offers of discounts. Japanese
business is conducted principally through buying agents in Bombay where
goods are transhipped to British India Steam Navigation Company’s boats.
The terms are usually 20 per cent, with order and balance payable on shipment
of the goods. j\o credit is allowed but discounts arc accorded varying between
10 and 40 per cent.
Manchester piece-goods still colne into the country but in very limited and
diminishing quantities and only in certain lines of standard quality such as
white mulls, white nainsooks and Black Italians. Messrs. Zieglers tell me that
they are unable to cover the cost of a recent import of one of their oldest and
most stable lines, a white shirting made especially for them.
Tea .—As a result of the general economic situation the import of tea, which
is almost entirely Indian, has fallen considerably and prices have increased from
Rials 571 per man in January 1932 to Rials 72 in December of the same year.
Sunday According to reports there is a general tendency through
out the country to purchase from Britain in preference to the United States^of
America or other European sources but this condition is said to be due entirely
to exchange consideration. In view of the competitive prices offered by the
United Kingdom manufacturers a rapidly increasing number of British trucks
is being imported by Messrs. Zieglers who have completelv dropped competing
American interests. * ' ^ ^ &
The relative position of oilier foreign interests, excluding Russian, remains
unaltered.
The Commercial Treaty with Russia, which was signed on October 27 1937
came into operation during the year and strenuous efforts were made by the
S m V ‘ ct . T r ad i ng to take advantage of the favourable terms
of the Treaty to develop Russian trade with Persia. Persian merchants,
however, were not slow o discover that the Treaty merely strengthened Russian
control of Persian markets to the detriment of the Persian merchants them
selves and the unpopularity of the agreement provoked an agitation for its
cancellation. °
The traditional hostility to the Russians in this district and distrust of the
trading method’s is detrimental to the development of their activities and ana
from the monopoly goods they have not met with great success. 1
J. G. BAILLIE,
II. M.’s Vice-Consul,
Bn shire*