تقارير ومراسلات تتعلق ببلاد فارس، بما يشمل التجارة ومساراتها في بلاد فارس [ظ‎‎١‎٦] (٢٥٢/٣٢)

REPORT ON TRADE OF PERSIA.
houses. Common washing soap for clothes, from India, is begin
ning to displace the native manufacture for that purpose.
Soap is manufactured in the country, notably at Ispahan and
Rudbar; value, krs. 6 to krs. 10 per man of 13 lbs. (say 2\d.
per lb.).
Spices.
This import trade is entirely an Indian one, and is steadily
growing. The chief articles are pepper, cinnamon, cardamoms,
turmeric, tamarinds, and ganger.
Sugar.
The consumption of sugar in Persia has greatly increased in
recent years. The Consular Reports for Bushire show an import
at Bushire and Bunder Abbas for the two yeais 1897-98 of 251,500
cwts., and for the two years 1901-02 of 504,000 cwts. Kerman-
shah also shows an increasing trade in French sugar. Russian
sugar has made still greater progress; the export to Persia for
1902 stood at 3,000,000 pouds. There has been a decrease by the
Trebizond route of some 20,000 cwts. of French sugar, which has
almost ceased to be imported to Azerbaijan since 1900.
Sugar cannot be insured inland, as it is a risky commodity to
transport, being easily demaged by wet. The inland trade is
chiefly in the hands of Persian merchants, and, as the article has
a wide sale on which a quick turnover can be made, the profits
in Persia are small.
It is not possible, from evidence obtainable in Persia, which is
only one out of several markets for Russian sugar, to express an
authoritative opinion on the effect of the fiscal measures in Russia
governing the production and export of this commodity. A lead
ing exporter describes the system shortly as follows:—Sugar in
Russia maintains a level of about Rbls. 6 per poud.' A Govern
ment estimate is made of each year’s consumption, and of the
stocks to be held m reserve, and this quantity is apportioned
amongst the refineries in proportion to their declared output.
Each refinery has then practically to sell abroad the quantity of
its surplus output so established. There is a drawback on export
ed sugar of Rbls. 1*75 per poud, which is the full tax imposed on
production. Anyone entitled to trade abroad can export sugar
and claim the Customs certificate for drawback, which shows the
quantity exported and the refinery the sugar came from. As the
refineries have to produce Customs certificates in proof of export,
they have either to export on their own account or buy up certifi
cates from those who have exported. These certificates conse
quently often command a heavy premium, and are dealt in on the
Bourse.
The result of the existing conditions of production and export,
as regards Persian trade, is that Russian sugar commands the
markets of Azerbaijan, Zanjan, Hamadan (price krs. 4*75 per Tab.
man—3-2^. per lb.), Korn, Shahrud and Mazanderan (price, Meshed,
krs. 4 per Meshed man—2*55^. per lb.), and competes with French
•sugar in Ispahan, Yezd, and Seistan.
Consignments have been tried by the Russian steamers to
Bushire and Shiraz, but have not been appreciated, on account of
hard quality, though offered at krs. 4 to krs. 4*25 per Shiraz man.
Russian sugar exported to Persia enjoys a rebate on freight of
about 9 copecks per poud.