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 trustworthy 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 cash 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.* 03 per bushel. Bones .cwt.. 3, 666 34 Bran .do.. 2,712 1,374 385 Cotton. .do.. 1,519 Dates, Bser.. ..do... 1, 032 Degla Gabes. 18 per cwt Horra.. Esparto grass.. manufactures of Fruit 1 75 per cwt 12 per cwt 62 per cwt 04 per cwt 2 50 per cwt 10 per cent. ad val. 81 25 per cwt 07 per cwt 39 per cwt 10 per cent. ad val. 62 per cwt 5 per cent. ad val. 33 per bushel.. 1, 001, 160 00 18 00 per cwt 781 per cwt 24 00 per cwt 11 75 per cwt 13 00 per cwt 5.00 per cwt 8 75 per cwt 2 37 per head 3,666 00 612 00 2, 122 14 32, 976 00 6, 737 50 140 8,870 00 17,848 25 6, 192 00 64, 350 00 17,838 00 5,747 00 143,970 66 31, 900 00 1,580 00 46,086 25 9, 450 00 5,617 50 132 00 27,950 00 1,207 50 4, 606 50 18, 720 00 2.25 22.00 36, 969 00 14 68 1, 145, 823 84 8, 660 00 13, 160 00 28.05 235, 000 00 64,905 00 6, 626 25 3, 890 25 38,304 50 48, 260 00 740 25 50,920 00 1 67 per bushel 1, 998, 322 60 per cwt 16 25 per cwt $16, 800 00 503 75 1 00 per cwt 14 25 147,900 75 185, 050 00 Sundries.. Total 37,500 00 5,548, 743 87 *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 important proportion of the imports. As the whole of the western frontier is open, the agricultural produce of the country meets no difficulty in crossing into Algeria, where it finds 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. Statement showing the value of the declared exports from Puerto Cabello to the United States during the four quarters ending September 30, 1877. ALPHABETICAL INDEX. A. Aberdeen. (See page 451.) Page. Acapulco, John A. Sutter, Consul: report upon the commercial condition of... 722 tables of general imports and exports and of trade with the United States 723 table of exports and navigation.... 843, 844 Alexandria, E. E. Farman, Agent and Consul-General at Cairo: tables of imports and exports... 889, 890 All countries, Secretary's letter: statement showing imports and exports of, and balance of trade for or number and tonnage of the merchant marine of.. proportion of home and foreign tonnage engaged in the foreign trade of.. Algeciras, Horatio J. Sprague, Agent: spirits; American pork, lard, and canned beef; linseed-oil; bulb crops; 775 trade with the United States; navigation; diamonds and diamond-cut- Antwerp, James Riley Weaver, Consul: Report upon the commerce and navigation for the year 1876: increase of commerce; the transit trade 100 101 competition of Flushing and Terneuzen; imports and duties on imports.. population; births; deaths; revenues; improvements of city and docks; table of exports to the United States for the year ending September 30, table of imports and exports with the United States; table of navigation.. 846 |