Coll 28/41 ‘Persia. Trade Reports. Kerman 1924–’ [‎78r] (155/313)

Trade Report of the Kerman
ending 20th
1. Trade.
(tt) General conditions of trade during the year
{imports and exports). —In tlie absence of reliable
statistics, the figures for imports, shown in Appendix
/, should be taken as being only approximate, while
those for exports, Appendix IV, especially in the
case of carpets, which form the chief item, are as
authentic as could be expected.
The total value of imports into Kerman for the
year under review shows an increase of nearly Rials
200,000 over those of the preceding year. Taking
the various items separately, however, it will be seen
that, whereas, in nearly all cases, the amounts of
imports in 1932-33 are below those of 1931-32, the
figures for sugar show an increase, in the year under
review x Rials 900,000, as compared with the
previous year. This can be explained by the fact
that the figures for 1931-32 represented, for the most
part at any rate, the net value of the imported sugar,
irrespective of the monopoly tax. In reality the
actual amount of sugar imported into this province
in the year under review was considerably smaller
than that of the preceding year. In other words,
therefore, the imports in the year under review,
taken as a whole, were in actual fact distinctly less
than those of 1931-32.
The total amount of exports during the year were
about 4: million Rials less than those of the preceding
year. As will be seen from Appendix IV, the item
of carpets alone shows a decrease of very nearly three
millions.
Since the departure of the Hindu traders from
Kerman, early in 1932, the bulk of the import trade
remains m the hand of Yezdi traders and Tehran
supplies most of the requirements in the shape of
■woollen and fancy goods, while motor accessories
and. parts are imported from Yezd, Isfahan or
Zahidan. Two Hindu traders from Bandar Abbas
opened shops in Kerman in the latter half of 1932,
| but most of their business has been confined to
| Russian or Japanese goods and they have had hardly
any direct trade relations with India.
The year under review can only be described as a
bad one and it is unfortunately impossible to see
any signs of improvement in the near future. The
carpet industry, which is the lifeblood of Kerman
trade, had spasms of very moderate activity during
the period under review, but was almost stagnant
at the end of the year. Most of the carpets made in
Kerman are exported for New York and the recent
! crisis in the Lnited States of America has forced
74> ^
(li)
Consular District for the year
March 1933.
manufacturers and exporters to curtail their commit- f
ments still further until the situation is more clear. I
The frequent changes in the trade regulations
caused great embarrassment to traders throughout
the year. Money continued to be scarce, not, un
fortunately, through any demand for business
purposes, but due to the general poverty of the
province.
The situation was aggravated by the heavy floods |
in July 1932, unprecedented so far at this time of
the year. Half of the season’s crops were washed
away and over 500 qanats (underground water
channels), out of a total number of about 3,000 '
in the province damaged. The losses in five-stock
were also considerable. The heavy losses incurred ;
by the land-owners, in one direction on account of
their crops and in another by the damage done to : .
their quanats, re-acted detrimentally on trade in
general and increased the cost of living.
The full effect of this disaster has not yet been
fully felt. Only a small number of the damaged i
qanats has been repaired and consequently only a j
comparatively small area of land is under cultiva- I
tion. The price of wheat at the time of writing was 1
about 40 per cent higher than it was twelve months >
before.
The revival, in the beginning of the period under
report, of the Kerman Chamber of Commerce (which
had so far existed only in name) by the Governor-
General, was a move in the right direction, though
nothing worth mentioning has so far been effected
by this institution.
(b) New items of trade. —Nil.
(c) New trade channels. —No start has yet been
made with regard to connecting Bandar Abbas
with Meshed, via Jiruft, mention about which was
made in the last report. Practically all exports
from Kerman during the year were made via Bandar
Abbas, hence the Kerman-Zahidan (Duzdab) route
lost all its importance for purposes of export. A
few consignments of no great value were, however
forwarded by this route to India, by miscellaneous
traders, solely with the object of avoiding payment
of the Indian Customs. Thus, the only main trade
route in the province is via, Bandar Abbas which,
by the way, is occasionally blocked by snow or
impassable through heavy rain during the winter
months.
(d) Growth of foreign competition and danger to
British interests resulting therefrom. —-While, as will
be seen from Appendix I, Russian imports of cotton
piece-goods have dropped by over 50 per cent