‘Persia – especially Seistan’ [‎18v] (35/949)

2
REPORT ON TRADE OF PERSIA.
I.—General Report
on
British Trade and Enterprise in Persia.
The total trade of Persia with foreign countries, as shown by Persian
Customs Statistics, now exceeds 8,000,000/. sterling per annum, of which
over 5,000,000/. are imports, and 3,000,000/. exports. These figures do not
include specie or bullion.
The Customs Statistics are entitled to confidence as the Department is
now properly organised and administered. They omit, however, certain
articles of trade, mostly exports, which I venture to estimate at a value of
from 150,000/. to 200,000/. yearly.*
, The records available for a comparison with trade at former periods are
unsatisfactory. Such figures as I can offer {see pp. 11 — 14) confirm the
conclusion I have formed from enquiry into a number of different lines of
commerce, namely, that foreign commerce with Persia, both import and
export, has steadily increased during the last decade, to the extent of perhaps
twenty per cent. It is subject, however, to wide fluctuations from year to
year, and comparisons of any one year with another may be quite misleading.f
The export trade is made up as follows :—
One-half, or more, raw vegetable products:—Dried fruits, 450/500,000/.;
Raw cotton, 400/450,000/.; Opium, 280/320,000/.; Rice, 250/280,000/.;
Gums, 80/100,000/.
One-fourth, raw animal products :—Silk cocoons, 200/250,000/.; Skins
and peltries, 100/120,000/.; Pearls, 80/100,000/.; Wool, 60/80,000/, &c.
One-fourth, or less, munufactures :—Carpets, 230/260,000/.; other textiles
of silk, cotton, and wool, 150/180,000/.; Leather, 40/60,000/.
The import trade may be summarised as follows :—
Six-tenths, or more, manufactures:—Cotton yarns and tissues,
1,800/2,300,000/. Other tissues of wool and silk clothing, &c., 380/420,000/.;
Metals and their manufactures, 140/170,000/.; Glassware and porcelain,
75/100,000/., &c.
Three-tenths, food substances :—Sugar, 1,000/1,300,000/. ; Tea,
220/240,000/.; Grain, 130/150,000/.; Spices, 40/60,000/., &c.
One-tenth, or less, raw materials, &c.:—Kerosine, 40/50,000/.; Skins and
peltries, 30/50,000/.; Dyes, 30/40,000/.; Tobacco, 30/40,000/.; Wool,
20/40,000/.
The following is a rough summary of the trade done with Russia, the
British Empire, and other countries respectively :—
t • - . .
• The values attributed to the different descriptions of merchandise are somewhat less, I should say roughly
from 10 to IS per cent, less, than their real commercial values at point of entry into or exit from Persia. There
is also, no doubt, some merchandise whi;h still eludes Customs control, but I cannot estimate, with any accuracy,
the qmntity or value of such contraband. The total foreign trade of Persia might therefore be estimated at quite
9 millions, or millions imports and 3 } millions exports.
t The exports consist largely of raw produce, and are governed by the accident of good or bad harvests
and by prices abroad. Imports consist principally of manufactured goods, of which large stocks in proportion
to business have to be held on account of the long time they are on the way. They often arrive at the port of
entry with a rush after a good trade has depleted these stocks and encouraged orders, thu* swelling the trade
statistics of one year at expense of another.