Despite the rapid modernization of the Holy Land, Palestine is the Iraqi Kingdom’s second best customer for camels, according to the Board of Overseas Trade report on economic conditions in Iraq just made public. Syria was the largest purchaser of Iraqi camels.
Palestine bought camels valued at £18, 197 from Iraq in the year from August 1934 to August, 1935, the report discloses. But the “ship of the desert” is few in numbers and value compared to motor-cars in Palestine, the value of automobiles imported in 1934 being 578, 271.
Total exports from Iraq to Palestine increased during 1934-35 from £31,000 in 1932-33 and £151,00 in 1933-34 to £237,000. At the same time, Palestine exports to Iraq decreased from £83,000 in 1932-33 to £11,000 in 1934-35.
Japan, which imported only £7,000 from Iraq in 1934-35, was, after Great Britain, the largest exporter to that country, its exports during the year totalling £1,224,000.
The United States remained a good customer of Iraq taking £337,000 in Iraqian products and selling to Iraq goods valued at £381,000.
The principal American exports to Palestine were automobiles and tires and tubes, valued, in all, at £225,000. Iraq’s principal exports to the United States were dates (£188,000); wool, £76,000; intestines, £43,868; liquorice root, £16,195.
During the year Palestine and Trans-Jordan bought from Iraq cows, sheep, goats and poultry valued at £29,334; fish, £9,568; ghee (an animal fat), £8,066 and mineral oil, £70,496.
During 1934-34 Iraq’s exports totalled £4,875,000 as against imports of £6,105,000. While Iraq imports remained fairly constant for three years, her exports almost doubled in that time.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
