Reports and Correspondence Relating to Persia, Including Trade and Trade Routes in Persia [‎44r] (87/252)

appendix -notes from h.m. consular officers at bushire and trebizond. g 3
Mr. Khaleefby last'maU^that'the follo^vi^'gpods aredispla^ed 1 ^ by
Piece goods of all sorts.
Earthenware of all sorts.
Glassware of all sorts.
Flour.
Matches.
.. . Walking sticks.
Having endeavoured to give the information required by Mr. Maclean I rhinh I
Guh ° W'thn ^ reraa . r ^ s a ^ out fbc Russian competition in the carrying trade of the
Gulf Without venturing toexpress any opinion as to the future which lies before this
maritime undertaking, I think it will noi be out of place to consrdrr how far it will be
successful in competing with the existing British lines. In this connexion the chief ele
ment which must contribute towards the success of the undertaking is the amount of
return freight wh.ch can be secured. What practically keeps th^British lines going
thlt th e e n exDor U t S traH P e r f t of , from , Tur V sh Arabia shi Pk e d a t Busreh. Compared with
available forernort N.” Pers,a s ! nks into insignificance, unless grain is also
^ k ^ ^°d‘ S ram ,s an article of export which is not likely to find
pace on board a Russian steamer returning from the Gulf to Odessa, as that would
^n ,nf . Carry i n , g c ° al f t0 Newcastle, Russia being one of the largest grain-exporting
countries. The chief articles of export from Persia vtd the Gulf are tobacco^shefe
g in, opium, carpets, &c., and these will all go in English bottoms.
t a kpr-dr e p t nf r fL eX1St i ngBrit - ishlin L eS o re ^ orkin g to g e ther, and they may be trusted to
e care of themselves against the Russian competing line.
ANNEX F.
Extract from Letter from Mr. H. L. Longworth, H. M. Consul at
Trebizond, September 24TH, 1903.
, ? , , iti ? hand 1 forei S" g° ods P assin g through Trebizond in transit for Persia are not
dutiable in Turkey. The ad valorem charge of i per cent., reduced from 6 per cent.
ini« 5 8, has been, since September 1873, abolished, with the view of drawing to this
route the then existing transit trade through the Caucasus. Russia, however, in order
to toster home industries, adopted in 1883 a protective policy, and dosed the Caucasus
to the transit trade of the world. Hence Turkey has gained, since then, no advantage
by waiving the right of levying the duty, at a loss to the Trebizond Customs revenue °of
trom 7,000/. to 10,000/. a year.
- Merchandise for Persia may be kept for two years in the Trebizond transit ware
house at.a monthly charge of half a piastre {\d.) per package.
•f fi At Ba £ dad the , dut y P aid is > 1 believe, 8 per cent., 7 per cont. of which is returned
it the goods cross the frontier within six months.
1 he same may be said of Persian goods sent in transit through Trebizond to
Constantinople for re-exportation to foreign countries.