Reports and Correspondence Relating to Persia, Including Trade and Trade Routes in Persia [‎18v] (36/252)

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REPORT ON TRADE OF PERSIA.
All tea entering Russian Transcaspia from Persia or
Afghanistan is subject to Customs duty at Rbls. 31-50 per poud,
but green tea declared at Batoum for consumption in Irans-
caspia is subject to a duty of Rbls. 12 per poud on arrival at
the Customs offices of that province, and refund is made ot the
duty paid in Batoum. In this manner the trade in green
tea to Transcaspia through Bunder Abbas and Meshed has been
diverted to the Batoum route.
Textiles.—Carpets.
Total exports, per Persian Customs Statistics :—
Years ending 20th March :— ^ r9,
1900- 01 11,368,000
1901- 02 13,870,000
1902- 03 13 * 347 > 000
Bushire Consular Reports show an average export from Bushire
and Bunder Abbas for the six years to 1901 of 47,000/., and for
the two years 1901-02, of 48,000^ The very great increase in
the export of this commodity in recent years has been from Tabriz,
which is by far the largest market in Persia. The manufacture
of carpets is carried on in many parts of Persia, but naturally
centres in those districts where wool, grain, and consequently
labour are abundant and cheap. Kerman carpets have a high
reputation, and command in Constantinople the highest prices of
all Persian carpets. In Tabriz the industry has been inaugurated
only in recent years, but has made great strides, and the carpets
produced there are of fine workmanship and fetch high prices ;
the peculiarly soft fine wool of Meshed and Khorassan give these
carpets also a superior value.
The region centring in Ferahan and Sultanabad produces very
large quantities of carpets of all grades, although the bulk of the
business is in ordinary grades for domestic use. Hamadan,
Kurdistan, and Pars also produce many carpets. Pars and Kur
distan weave heavy all-wool carpets. Carpets are exported from
Shiraz to Egypt and Constantinople from the Gulf. Some
Kerman carpets are sent to the same markets from Bunder Abbas,
but the bulk of the carpets from that district, as well as from
Central and Western Persia, are either consigned or sold to Tabriz
for the Constantinople market, whence they are distributed to all
parts of the world. There is very keen competition amongst
Persian traders in the Constantinople market, and export houses
in Tabriz are endeavouring to increase direct trade with America,
the best buyer.
Tiflis is also a market for Persian carpets, taking from Tabriz
mostly lower grade carpets from Kurdistan and Ferahan.
Khorassan carpets can be exported to Tiflis and Constantinople
vid Ashkabad.
From Tabriz to Constantinople the Trebizond route used to
be employed, but the Julfa-Erivan route in transit through Russia
is now preferred. There are, or were, certain restrictions in
respect of old (used) carpets. Railway freight from Erivan to
Batoum is 60 copecks per poud, and Russian transport companies
in Tabriz (August 1903) were offering through freight and insur
ance all risks, Tabriz to Batoum, at Rbls. 1-45 per poud. Kurdistan
Hamadan, and Ferahan carpets are also exported via Kermanshah
and Bagdad, but the delay and inconvenience occasioned by
Customs formalities in Turkish territory are a deterrent to the use
of this route.
Persian carpets are all made on hand looms, the pile being
knotted on by hand. The bulk of woollen carpets have a woollen
pile only, warp and woof being cotton. Some are all wool. In
silk carpets the woof is usually cotton, the warp either silk or cotton.