'Lord Curzon's Notes on Persia: About 1889-1890' [‎255r] (529/1486)

No. 113 .
Reference to previous Report \_C. 4781], Commercial No. 18, 1886.
PERSIA.
TEHEKAN.
Mr. Nicolson to the Marquis of Salisbury.
Teheran, Feh'uai'y 1, 1887.
My Lord,
I have the honour to transmit a report by Mr. Herbert on the
trade and industries of Persia. Mr. Herbert has been at great pains to
collect information on the subject, and 1 trust that his efforts will meet
with your Lordship’s approval. I may mention that Mr. Herbert is
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taking home the samples which he has collected to illustrate ins
rep0rt ' I have, &c. ,
(Signed) A. NICOLSON.
Report by Mr. Herbei't on the Trade and Industries of Persia.
Before entering on details of the trade of Persia, it is necessary to
point out the peculiar position in which the country is situated, being
bounded on the north by the Caspian Sea, where the whole trade is m
the hands of the Russians, the Persians not being allowed by them to
keep any steamboats, although they own the whole of the southern
coast. Moreover, now that the free transit of goods through t ic
Caucasus is forbidden by the Russian authorities in order to foster their
native industries, the foreign commerce into Persia is forced (1) into
the Trebizond (Tabreez line ); (2) into the line from the Persian Cult,
via either Bagdad or Bushire. The Trebizond line being almost im
practicable during the winter, it results that the natuial channel lor
trade with foreign countries is via the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. .
The total imports for 1885, according to the custom-house returns
with which I have been favoured, amount to about 5,768,352/., of which 1885.
1 841,678/. pass by Trebizond, 876,600/. by Russia, and 3,050,074/. by
the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. . The imports consist mostly of cotton fabrics, cloth,
trlass, woollen goods, carriages, sugar, petruleum, tea, coffee, drugs, &c.
The total expoits amount to 4,366,109/., of which 778,200/. passes Total
via Trebizond, 1,166,551/. passes via Russia, and 2,421,358/. passes via 1885 .
the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. . These consist principally of dried fruits, opium, cotton
and wool, silk, carpets, pearls, turquoises, rice, &c.
The excess of imports over exports therefore amounts to about
1.402,243/.; but these figures do not represent the real value of the
exchanges made: T. Because generally the custom-house accepts the
declaration of value without any further examination ; and, secondly, on
the imports the 5 per cent, ad valorem duty is taken on the merchants
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price, which is a muok higher one than that paid by them to the
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