of this imported kerosene was for military purposes, but by far the greater part was for civilian use.

While Egypt has remained largely dependent on foreign petroleum for its supplies of benzine and kerosene, Egyptian petroleum has been almost sullicient, and in 1918 more than sufficient, to provide the rapidly increasing local requirements of liquid fuel. I need not emphasise "the immense benefit which has resulted during a period when coal has been at times almost unobtainable, even at exceedingly high prices. In 1913 8,302 tons of liquid fuel were imported and 74 tons were re-exported, so that the consumption in the country only amounted to 8,228 tons; it rose in the following years successively to 37,911, 29,739, 50678 and 113,829 tons, reaching in 1918 its maximum of 207,651 tons, and falling slightly in 1919 to 188,702 tons. The following table shows in tons the quantities of benzine, kerosene and liquid fuel produced at the Suez Refinery from Egyptian and foreign crude oil during the years 1914-1919:— ivu UU5 I'JlC 1917 1918 1919 Beuzino.

Egyptian. Foreign. Total.

Kerosene.

Egyptian. Foreign Liquid Fuel.

14,590 1,1G7 3,824 7,324 10,784 8,886 4,525 1,079 4,554 76 59 4,617 19,115 2,846 7,878 7,400 10,843 13,503 25,242 3,433 7,541 13,823 24,333 14,532 Total. I Egyptian.

9,598 5,708 17,340 7,519 2,049 10,539 34,840 9,141 24,881 21,342 26,382 25,071 33,972 21,071 31,305 108,363 245,523 172,995 Foreign.. Total.

21,807 4,981 15,908 29,143 6,603 28,061 65,779 26,052 47,213 137,606 252,126 201,056 The rise of the Egyptian petroleum industry has caused the rapid development of Suez as a bunkering port, while the Anglo-Persian Oilfields Company are preparing to erect tanks at Fort Said with the (mject of bunkering ships there.

Tariff Rates.

Several changes have been made in the rates of duties since 1913. In that year the import duty on leaf tobacco was P.T. 20 per kilog. and that on cigars and manufactured tobacco P.T. 25.

In January 1914: these rates were raised respectively to P.T. 25 and 30 per kilog., in August 1915 to P.T. 30 and 4:0, and in September 1919 to P.T. 50 and 60.

In August 1915 the duty on timber was increased from 4: per cent, to 8 per cent., and the duty on alcohol and spirits from 8 per cent, to 10 per cent.

In June 1919 the duty on flour was suppressed. Chemical manure has continued to enjoy exemption from duty.

In October 1917 an excise of 14: milliemes per kilog. was imposed on sugar, but this was removed at the end of 1919.

In January 1916 quay dues on exports were raised to 12 per mille at Alexandria and Port Said, and in February 1919 quay dues were imposed at Suez on the completion of the new quays.

At the end of June 1919 the Tombac Monopoly expired, and tombac is now taxed at the same rate as other leaf tobacco.

Free Zone at Port Said. During 1919 the Suez Canal Company approached the Customs Administration with a view to its putting into operation the Free Zone Regime provided for in the agreement of 1902 between the Egyptian Government and the company.

Port Said has by its nature always enjoyed great facilities in the matter of transit, and the only essential changes necessitated by the new regime are that goods should be allowed to remain in the free zone uncontrolled by the Customs, with full liberty to their owners to manipulate and repack, instead of such operations being subjected to Customs control as at present, and that there should be no limit to the period during which goods may be warehoused either in transit or pending importation. It is, however, necessary in the first instance that the whole area of the port should be surrounded by a barrier, for it is upon this that fiscal protection will entirely depend under the new conditions. The Customs Administration has, there-House of Commons Parliamentary Papers Online. Copyright (c) 2006 ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights reserved.