TRADE PECULIARITIES OF TUNIS. The trade of Tunis is almost entirely in the hands of the Jews. Even the European merchants, who have been established here for many years and know or ought to know the country, cannot do without a Jewish broker in their dealings. A peculiarity of trade in Tunis is that there are very few if any readymoney transactions for imported goods sold, while in purchasing goods for exportation the habitual conditions are cash. The list of imported goods for 1874, which is given in report No. 2, will afford an idea of what would find the readiest sale in Tunis; but one thing must not be lost sight of, and that is, that all goods must be of the cheapest kind and the best obtainable at the price, in order to compete with goods imported from England, France, Italy, Belgium, and Germany. I have selected the returns for 1874, as that was a year of medium export and import. Those for 1873 were as much above the average as those for 1875 and 1876 were below. I would suggest single and double barreled guns, rifles, and pistols; cotton goods similar (and cheaper if possible) to Manchester goods; hardware, earthen ware, and wooden ware; picks, shovels, spades, and, as a trial, a few cheap and simple agricultural implements, such as plows, harrows, &c.; cheap furniture, clocks, and watches. A merchant must expect to give long credits, and choose a trust. worthy agent, not a native, if possible, so as to avoid difficulties where there are as many jurisdictions as there are nations represented, besides the local tribunals. Any one going into business in Tunis requires a small capital and must expect to find beginnings hard and competition difficult to contend against. It is not the fair competition of American and English markets, but peculiar, scarcely honest, transactions in one word, illegitimate trade. I do not mean that all merchants in Tunis act in the same way, but on the contrary respectable traders bitterly complain of being constantly interfered with by a certain disreputable class of people who sell goods at cost and even below cost price and make money by it, not much, it is true, but they live, renew their transactions, and cause a most depressing effect on legitimate trade. This is the way it is done: A man obtains a certain quantity of goods from Europe, for which he gives a bill of exchange at six months. The goods arrive and they are sold immediately for casb at cost price. This cost price is, of course, the amount of the bill. This money is lent, at short dates, on tangible, intrinsic security, to needy people, at 18, 20, 24, and even 30 per cent. per annum. All that is required by the ingenious . speculator is to have the money ready to meet the bill when it is presented for payment. G. H. HEAP. Statement showing the commerce of the Regency of Tunis for the year 1874.* 1.-IMPORTS. 6,737 50 4,950 Articles. Price on board. Value. Almonds, in shell. ...cwt.. $16, 800 00 shelled .do. 503 75, Barley bushel.. 1, 483, 200 031 per bushel.. 334 per bashel.. 1,001, 160 00 Bones .cwt.. 3, 666 3, 666 00 Botarga (fish roe). .do... 34 612 00 Bran .do... 2, 122 14 Butter. do... 1, 374 Coral 50 per cwt 24 00 per cwt. 32, 976 00 .pounds.. 385 17 50 per pound.. Cotton. do.. 8 1 40 silk, and hair manufactures.. Cuttle-fish 10 per cent. ad val. 8, 870 00 cwt.. 1,519 | $1 25 per cwt 11 75 per cwt 17,848 35 Dates, Beer. do... 1, 032 07 per cwt 6 00 per cwt 6,192 00 Degla do. 24 per owt 64, 350 00 Gabes do.. 17, 838 00 Horra. .do... 5, 747 00 Esparto grass.. .do.. 064 per cwt. 1 334 per cwt 143, 970 66 manufactures of Figs, dried. 10 per cent. ad val 31, 900 00 .cwt.. 316 | $1 25 per cwt 500 per cwt. 1,550 00 Fish, salted. .do. 8,015 5 75 per owt Fruit 46, 086 25 9, 450 000 Juniper berries. ........cwt.. 642 Goats' hair 62 per cwt 8 75 per cwt 5,617 50 do... 11 1 25 per cwt 12 00 per cwt 132 00 skins ..do.. 1 25 per cwt Henna 25 00 per cwt 27, 950 00 .do... 115 38 per owt Hides 10 50 per cwt 1, 207 50 do... 222 76 per cwt 20 75 per cwt 4, 606 50 Honey. do.. 18, 720 00 Indigo ponnds.. 5 Leeches 1 25 per cwt. 45 00 per cwt 2 25 .do. 8 62 per pound.. Lemong... 2 75 per ponnd.. 22 00 Madder-root. .......cases.. 12, 323 027 per case. 3 00 per caso. 36, 969 00 ....cwt.. 11 2 50 per cwt Olive-oil 11 75 per cwt. 14 68 Ore (lead) 7, 056 1, 145, 823 84 Oxen... .....cwt.. 8,600 00 ..head.. 376 Pistachios 3 05 per head 35 00 per head ..pounds.. 165 Pulse, corn, beans, millet, &c. bushels.. 3 70 per cwt 17 per pound.. 224, 000 133 per bushel. 933 per bushel. 233, 000 00 3 per cent. ad val. 64, 905 00 Sheep .head.. skins. 80 251 per head 2 371 per head ..cwt.. 273 1 00 per cwt. Soap.. 14 25 per cwt 3,890 25 do... Sponges, washed. 943 per owt 6 25 per cwt .do... 508 Tallow 3 75 per cwt 95 00 per owt do... 63 624 per cwt Wax 11 75 per cwt 740 25 do... Wheat 1, 340 1 25 per cwt 38 00 per cwt .. bushels. . 1, 195, 312 Wool, unwashed 14 per bushel 1 678per bashel 1, 998, 322 60 ..cwt.. Woolen manufactures... 10, 379 147, 900 75 Sundries 5 per cent. ad val. 183, 050 00 1, 118 2, 080 .....tons.. 6, 928 13, 160 00 28 05 Red caps. 2, 790 6,626 25 5, 893 38, 304 50 48, 260 00 50, 920 00 37, 500 00 5,548, 743 87 Total * Tables Nos. 1 and 2 represent the imports and exports passed through the custom-house in 1874. It is estimated, however, that fully one-fourth the exports evade the payment of duty, and also an im; portant proportion of the imports. As the whole of the western frontier is opon, the agricultural produce of the country meets no difficulty in crossing into Algeria, where it fads a ready market and entire exemption from duties. VENEZUELA. MARACAIBO. Statement showing the value of declared exports from the consular district of Maracaibo to the United States during the four quarters of the year ending September 30, 1877. Coffee $790, 471 61 $748, 482 63 31, 316, 497 29 $1, 110, 069 71 $3,965, 521 24 876 56 8,162 27 8, 672 19 1, 267 66 17, 711 02 1, 182 37 1, 606 73 2, 237 08 32, 204 10 6, 293 84 24, 215 71 44, 026 04 22, 252 72 6, 012 80 122, 698 57 9, 184 12 14, 064 92 14, 753 82 44,015 66 2,893 46 2, 993 46 437 55 18 69 456 24 105 09 315 41 295 48 715 98 831, 280 28 1783, 169 92 1,387, 584 81 1, 158, 281 00 4, 160, 306 01 21 Total... Total for preceding year. Increase.... , Statement showing the value of the declared exports from Puerto Cabello to the United States during the four quarters ending September 30, 1877. Coffee .... Total... Total for preceding year. Increase .. $195, 939 00 $724, 833 80 $939, 075 05 1, 909 00 3, 039 75 151 50 84 75 608 25 30 00 552 75 147 00 ALPHABETICAL INDEX. A. Page. 722 723 724 893, 894 843, 844 .... 889, 890 statement showing imports and exports of, and balance of trade for or 49 50 52,53 821 822 823 506 Report upon trade and commerce for 1877: 773 774 public improvements 776 777-779 779 780 781 Report upon the commerce and navigation for the year 1876 : 100 101 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 109-111 112 113 844 845 775 845 |
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