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Coll 28/41 ‘Persia. Trade Reports. Kerman 1924–’ [‎67r] (133/313)

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The record is made up of 1 file (154 folios). It was created in 14 Dec 1925-20 Apr 1943. It was written in English. The original is part of the British Library: India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. Records and Private Papers Documents collected in a private capacity. .

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Trade Report of the Kerman Consular District for the year
ending 20th March 1934.
1. Trade.
(a) General conditions of trade during the year
(exports and imports). —The figures for imports into
the province, vide Appendix l, show a decrease of
just over Rials 700,000, as compared with those of
the preceding year.
In the import figures for the year under review, is
included about 11 million Rials of Anglo-Persian
Oil Company products, which in actual fact are not
of foreign origin. The remarkable increase in the
amount of these products, i.e., nearly Rials 600,000,
as compared with the previous year is due to the
following facts :—
(a) Up to now the Anglo-Persian Oil Company
agents in Kerman had been supplying
this Consulate with figures which showed
the sales of the Company’s products in
Kerman town, while the figures for the
year under report constitute the total
sales of the Company in the whole area
of Kerman province.
(b) The Russian imports of similar products
were probably considerably more than
those shown under the various years up
to date, the discrepancy becoming
apparent now that the Russian sales
have dropped off and been substituted
by those of the Anglo-Persian Oil Com
pany.
(c) The rates for petrol prevailing at Bandar
Abbas heretofore being below those of
Kerman, drivers working on this road
bought their requirements for both
journeys at Bandar Abbas while during
the year under review, the prices at
Kerman having been reduced, the
difference was not sufficient to give
Bandar Abbas this advantage.
But for the increase in the imports of the Anglo-
Persian Oil Company products, the decrease in the
value of imports would have amounted to more than
a million Rials.
The total value of exports during the year, on the
other hand, vide Appendix V, show’s an increase of
very nearly 3 million Rials, over two millions of
which is accountable by the increase in the exports
of Kerman carpets.
Judging by the above figures, the province did not
fare badly, especially as regards exports. In spite
of this, however, the year was distinctly a bad one.
Except for the improvement in the carpet trade,
business was dull and money unusually scarce
throughout the year. This was in the first place
due to the general world crisis and the general feeling
of financial insecurity which has resulted in the
wealth of the country being accumulated in fewer
hands and the few capital owners holding on
to their money more tenaciously than ever, the
demand for money continuing to decrease all the
time. A large number of the under-ground water
channels, which had been damaged by the floods of
July 1932, being still out of order, the owners have
had to find money for repairs.
A Registration Office having been opened at
Kerman at the latter part of the year, money was
required for the registration of property, as well as
for the payment of other taxes due to the Govern
ment. The constant changes which were introduced
in the foreign trade regulations from time to time
did not help to improve matters, and fluctuations
in the rates of premium for export certificates have
resulted in a number of local traders losing a consider
able. amount in consequence of their speculations
in this business.
Every year it becomes more and more difficult for
small traders to continue their business, and there
is more tendency of the few big trading concerns
in the country manipulating the bulk of the coun
try’s trade at the cost of the small individual trader.
Through lack of funds, the Kerman Chamber of
Commerce had to close down their office in the
latter part of the year, since which time it has existed
o.uly in name.
(b) New items of trade. —Nil.
(c) New trade channels. —Nil.
(d) Growth of foreign competition and danger to \
British interests resulting therefrom.—Appendix II
shows a tremendous drop in the Russian imports of
over two million Rials, the decrease in the imports
of sugar alone being over half a million Rials.
From Appendix III, on the other hand, w. 11 be
seen that Japanese imports increased, as compared
with the previous year, by nearly two lak hs of
Rials, and, comparing the figures for the la s t four
years, it will be observed that Japanese i mports
increased from a quarter million in 1930-31 to very
nearly one and a half million Rials in 1933-34. In
cotton piece-goods Japan has knocked, not only
India and the United Kingdom, but Russia as well,
out of the market.
Japanese firms were active during the year in
corresponding with the local merchants, with a view
to establishing business relations. A Japanese
commercial agent visited Kerman in the autumn to
study trade conditions and to collect samples of the

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Content

Printed trade reports for the Kerman Consular District in Persia [Iran], submitted by a succession of British Consuls for Kerman (Henry Duncan Graves Law; John Hunter Davies; Edward William Charles Noel; Cecil Henning Lincoln; George Arthur Falconer).

The contents of the reports vary from one year to another, but usually feature summaries of: the district’s financial situation; foreign trade; taxation; military affairs (commandeering of equipment, conscription); agriculture; industry (including textiles and carpet manufacture); communications and transport; state undertakings and control of trade; public utilities; social conditions (standard of living, unemployment, public health); information for travellers. Most reports include appendices with statistical data on trade, including: imports and exports at the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. port of Bandar Abbas [Bandar-e ʻAbbās]; imports and exports of key commodities into and out of Kerman; prices of foodstuffs; imports of Russian and Japanese goods.

Each report is preceded by India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. minute papers containing handwritten comments on the enclosed report. Many of the reports have pencil annotations.

The file includes a divider, which gives a list of correspondence references contained in the file by year. This is placed at the back of the correspondence.

Extent and format
1 file (154 folios)
Arrangement

The papers are arranged in approximate chronological order from the rear to the front of the file.

Physical characteristics

Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the inside front cover with 1, and terminates at the last folio with 156; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. side of each folio. An additional foliation sequence is present in parallel between ff 2-156; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled.

Written in
English in Latin script
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Coll 28/41 ‘Persia. Trade Reports. Kerman 1924–’ [‎67r] (133/313), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/12/3444, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100055834077.0x000088> [accessed 29 March 2024]

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