Coll 28/3(3) ‘Persia. Financial Situation’ [‎10r] (19/375)

No. 83 - August - September 1946
899
The duty-free imports in 1324 compared with 1323 rose in weight and value
by 190,000 tons and 360 million Rials, or 57.5% and 90.3% respectively; while
compared with the average for the pre-war years these imports increased by
323,000 tons and 502 million Rials or 164% and 196% respectively.
Among the main imports figures of pre-war years piecegoods of pure cot
ton held the first place, but during the war and afterwards sugar (grain and loaf)
attained that position.
There is a sensible difference between imports from the USSR and from
other countries in the case of sugar andcotton piecegoods imported during recent
years; since other countries sell their goods to the Iranian Government or Iranian
merchants, and the cost figures returned by the Customs are cif rates for delivery
at Iranian ports ,while the USSR import their goods directly (without passing
them through the Iranian Customs) and sell them at Tehran and other towns at
the free market rate. The figures returned by the Customs for the value of the lat
ter goods are, therefore, at the rates prevalent in the free markets of this countiy,
and thus the sugar (grain and loaf) and piecegoods imported from the USSR.
I N
CREASE ( + )
DECREASE
(-)
Year 1324 compared with 1323
Year
1324 compared with the average
for seven years.
Weight
°/o
Value
»/«
Weight
%
Value
Vo
+ 4,850.3
+ 48.0
-f 1,693.9
+ 43.2
4-7,199.9
+ 92.8
4-4,132.3
4- 279.3
-f 0.8
% 40.0
+ 1.6
-)- 22.2
— 4.5
— 6t.6
— 4-8
— 35.3
189.7
-f 57.5
-f 360.2
-f 90.3
4- 323.3
-f 164.6
% 502.6
+ 196.0
during the years 1323 and 1324 are separated in table No. 4 from those imported
from other countries. As to the volume of imports it may be seen that the
quantity of cotton piecegoods imported into Iran during the year 1324 is less than
the total imports of the pre-war period by 20%. Particularly imports from the
USSR made up a half of all such piecegoods imported to Iran, while in 1324 they
fell to only one-quarter of such imports. Imports of sugar, granulated and loaf,
amounted in weight to 75% of the quantity imported in pre-war years, woollen
cloth to 17%, tea to 54% and machinery to 13% only.