File 1283/1913 Pt 5 'MESOPOTAMIA TRADE Issue of new Trade Report' [‎24r] (43/270)

body, or mercantile interests in general; to receive and decide references on
matters of usage and custom in dispute, recording such decisions for future
guidance, and by this and such other means, as the Committee for the time
being may think fit, assisting to form a code of practice for simplifying and
facilitating business; to affiliate itself with similar Associations in other places
and to communicate with such Associations and with the public authorities and
with individuals on all subjects of general mercantile interest; and to arbitrate
between parties willing to refer to and abide by, the judgment of the
Chamber.”
The British Chamber of Commerce, Basrah, is constituted with a similar
object.
MARKETS.
The principal market towns are Baghdad, Basrah, Mosul, ‘Amarah and
Nasiriyah. From an overseas trade point of view the two towns of note are
Baghdad and Basrah whence all other distributing centres derive their
supplies with the exception of Mosul which has some direct trade with Syria.
The following table gives the distances from Basrah and Baghdad to
various market centres : —
Basrah to Zobeir for Arabian towns
(road)
9 miles
Mahommerah
river
20
it
Nasiriyah
train
140
11
river
132
11
Samarra
river
209
11
Samawah
train
200
11
Amarah
river
143
11
Kut
river
285
11
Baghdad/
river
499
11
train
354
11
Baghdad to Kut,
train
104
11
Mosul,
300
11
Tirauq /tor Persia)
train
12 7 miles.
VALUE OF TRADE.
The following* table indicates the total value of imports and exports to
and from Basrah for the years 1910, 1911, 1912, 1917, 1918 and 1919:
Imports
(00,000 omitted) -
Exports
(00,000 omitted)
1910
... Rs.
395
Rs.
250
1911
• • • 5 )
428
1 5
379
1912
... y y
398
9 9
487
1917
... |9
625
9 9
123
1918
... y,
1,110
9 9
135
1919
... 9 9
1,399
9 9
361
imports and exports into Baghdad
by land) were
441
for 1919
(including
741
imports
making for 1919 a total import trade of one hundred and eighty-four millions
as against exports of one hundred and ten millions.
It is estimated that from one-half to three-fourths of the imports by sea
eventually find their way to Persia and it cannot t^^
much that the trade of Mesopotamia is closely allied with that of Persia or
that portion which can be reached with ease vta Baghdad.
The marked increase in imports during the last two years has been due:
(1) Very largely to the almost complete cessation of imports into Persia
via the Caucasus,
(2) the largely increased spending power of Mesopotamia owing to the
presence of troops, .
the depletion of stocks in Mesopotamia and Persia due to inability
to obtain freight and supplies—m fact due to war conditions.
t ion T a°ndTSafe\“ S
“a. po^ibleTndTo^manufacturers to pay “V*" ‘ 0 PerSlaD
requirements as to those of the population of Mesopotamia.