Coll 28/38 ‘Persia. Trade. Trade Tables 1929/30 to’ [‎183r] (365/483)

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THIS DOCUMENT IS THE PROPERTY OP HIS BRITANNIC MAJESTY’S GOVERNMENT
PERSIA.
CONFIDENTIAL.
[E 3069/76/341
June 7, 19$7. ^ ** O.
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No.
Juife 7.)
Mr. Seymour to Mr. Edi
(No. 177 E.) ^ ^ ^
gi r Tehran, May 17, 1937.
WITH reference to Mr. Butler’s despatch No. 180 E. of the 11 th April, 1936,
I have the honour to transmit to you, under separate cover, three copies of the
Tableau general issued by the Iranian Customs Administration for the economic
year the 22 nd June, 1935, to the 21 st June, 1936,0 together with a memorandum
by the acting commercial secretary on the foreign trade of Iran during that period.
2. Imports, both commercial and non-dutiable, have increased considerably,
the total being about 206 million rials (£2,370,450) above the previous year’s
figure. The increase is due principally to larger imports of machinery, railway
material, metals, cement, cotton piece-goods, woollens and mixtures, wearing
apparel, haberdashery and motor lorries.
3. Ordinary exports show an increase of about 133 million rials (£1,530,500),
but Anglo-Iranian oil shipments were down by 100 million rials (£1,157,170).
The figures for commercial imports and exports, exclusive of oil shipments, show
an adverse trade balance to Iran of 156 • 3 million rials (£1 * 8 million), as compaied
with the adverse balance of 90-5 million rials (£ 1-2 million) in the previous year.
4. Imports from the Soviet Union show an increase, and represented
30 per cent, of the total commercial imports. Cotton piece-goods to the value
of £932.700, representing 50 per cent, of the total, were imported. An adverse
trade balance to Iran of 41 -5 million rials, about £478,700, is now shown m place
of the favourable balance last year of some £342,000.
5. Both imports from and exports to the United Kingdom showed
substantial increases, imports of cotton goods and woollens showing satisfactory
improvement. Excluding bullion and oil shipments and non-dutiable imports, a
trade balance of 3-2 million rials (£36,900) in favour of the I nited Kingdom is
revealed. Non-dutiable imports (the origin of which is not shown in the
tableau) by the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company amounted to 190,477,730 rials
(£2.193,685); most of these imports were presumably of British origin.
6 . Trade between India and Iran was almost the same as last year as regards
imports, while exports to India increased by nearly 4 million rials (£44,400).
7. The Irano-German clearing agreement and the control of exchange
practically doubled the trade between the two countries, and at the 21 st June,
1936, Iran was left with an adverse balance of 37-5 million rials (£432,000).
Machinery and railway material swelled the imports, and sheep casings, wool,
dried apricots, gum and hides increased the exports.
8 . The United States retained their position of biggest seller of automobiles
and accessories, and the best buyer of carpets.
9. Japanese imports of cotton piece-goods represented nearly 32 per cent,
of the total Against total imports valued at 78,274,600 rials (£901,470), exports
to Japan only amounted to 8,200,000 rials (£94,440), opium and gum tragacanth
accounting for practically the whole amount.
10. I am sending copies of this despatch to the Department of Overseas
Trade (unnumbered), to the loreign Secretary to the Government of India, to
His Majesty’s Ambassador at Bagdad, No. 34, and to the Honourable the
Political Resident A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency. in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , No. 42.
p) Not printed.
have, &c.
H. J. SEYMOUR.
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