Coll 20/6 'Muscat: Trade: Annual Reports 1924-' [‎230v] (460/588)

2
Trade.
The total trade for the year 1927-28 amounted
to £518,9?4 as against £474,202 of the previous
year showing an increase of £44,742 or about 9
per cent.
Imports by steamers show a decrease of £10,379
whilst imports by sailing vessels show an increase
of £54,104. There is an increase of £45,309 in the
value of rice imported by sailing vessels.
Exports show on the whole a slight improvement
over the figures for last year.
Of the total trade’ for the year the share of the
sailing crafts is £140,811 and that of the steamships
£378,133. i
Share of Trade.
—
Imports.
Exports.
Total.
Percen
tage.
£
£
£
y- A mail
Aden
2,570
1,013
3,583
■69
Africa
5,304
4,006
* 9,310
1-80
India
293,402
100,617
304,019
75-9?
Ceylon . . .
21,436
21,436
4-13
•; 1. -
China
938
1,657
2,595
•50
Persia . . f ,
18,513
4,is&:
22,698
4-37
Singapore
30,974
3,565
34,539
ft-66
United Kingdom
13,878
830
14,708
2-84
United States of
America.
1,975
10,520
12,495
. 2-40.
■o
Other Countries
3,105
456
3,561
•69
Total
370,659
148,285
518,944
100-00
As will be noticed from the above figures India
has, as usual, played a prominent part in the year’s
trade and Singapore comes next in order.
Nearly £31,000 worth of coffee beans were im
ported from ' Singapore during the year. This is
a new item as coffee used usually to be imported
from India and Ceylon.
Imports.
. { L .S/i r • L ' j ti k t
Total imports for the year amounted to £370,659
as against £326,934 showing an increase of £43,725
or about 7 per cent. Of the total imports ^goods
worth £241,500 were carried by the steamships
and £129,159 by country craft.
The import of rice by steamers shows a slight
decline whereas the import of the same commodity
by 4 , sailing craft shows a marked improvement of
£45,309. The money market was tight and there
was no demand from the interior for rice of good
quality and consequently less rice was imported
from Calcutta. The bulk of the rice imported
and appearing in these returns came from Karachi.
It is cheaper than Calcutta rice and is consumed
by the poorer classes both in Muscat and in the
interior.
There has been no direct import of rice from
Rangoon but a small quantity of this kind of rice
came via Bombay and has been included under
India.
i Exports. ^
Total exports for the year under report amounted
to £148,285 of which goods worth £11,652 w^re
carried by sailing craft and the balance by Steam
ships. They show a slight increase of £1,017 dver
last year s figures. A glance at the statements will
show that excepting for the items noted below
which show increased exports the exports to every
other country have suffered.
Singapore
Africa .
Ceylon ,
Aden .,
3,56,
2,37
11,575
1,013
Dates were exported to Singapore, cotton goods,
locally manufactured, to Zanzibar and Aden, dry
fish to Ceylon and War as (ochre) to Aden, This
last item is used for dying clothes by the Arabs.
Muscat manufacture turbans and lungis. These
are exported to Zanzibar and Aden. A consider
able export of these articles passes through the
Post- Office and does not appear in these returns.
The export of Fard dates to the United States
of America, which is the most important item of
Muscat export, has suffered loss for several suc
cessive years owing to the absence of rains in Oman.
Towards the end of 1927 there was good rain, and
it is hoped that the date crop will improve.
Legislation.
The Government is of the Oriental type tempered
by treaty for the benefit of British subjects over
whom the local authorities have ho jurisdiction.
The Government is carried on by a Council of four
Ministers (President, Minister of Justice, Minister
of Finance and Minister of Religious affairs). Cases
against British subjects are tried by the Political
Agent and His Britannic Majesty’s Consul, Muscat,
on principles of law adopted from British India.
Cases against Muscat subjects ate decided by the
Council of Ministers, but the right of Consular re
presentation exists and is exercised. , . .
Customs.
Reciprocal commercial treaties have been exe
cuted by the ruler of Oman with Great Britain
and France. In accordance wdth the terms oi those,
all goods imported into Oman are subject to an.
import duty of 5 per cent, ad valorem determined
by the price current in the local market. No export
duty is levied, but a charge of 5 per cent, is imposed,
in Muscat and at the Coast ports on all dates and
other fruits from the interior.