Anglo-Egyptian] 149 IMPORTS con Indian cotton is imported by the Indian traders (banians) at Suakin , whither it is brought by Bombay coasting steamers. At one time, when Suakin was isolated from the Nile valley by 300 miles of desert , local needs only were supplied in this way ; but since the railway has reached the port there has been a much wider distribution of goods from India . Cotton from Italy is brought by Italian steamers calling at Port Sudan on their way to Massawa in Eritrea .

Although Great Britain at present holds the bulk of the cotton trade with the Sudan , it must be remembered that other that other countries, by studying the needs of the inhabitants, forming with local customs and currency and quoting easy terms, might make a bid to capture this lucrative market.

The quantity of sugar imported in 1917 was 30 per cent. less than the import of 1913 , but as the price had risen as much as 128 per cent . , the total value was 60 per cent. higher. Practically all the sugar con sumed in the Sudan ( 93.26 per cent. in 1913, 99.66 per cent. in 1917 ) is the produce of Egypt, three fourths of it being sent by the Red Sea , the rest by the Nile. Before the wara little sugar ( about 6 per cent. in 1913 ) came came from Austria , but it was inferior in quality to the Egyptian and slightly higher in price, and had nothing to recommend itexcept a superior style of packing. Normally, Great Britain supplies a few cases of castor sugar only.

The import of metal and metal manufactures fell off greatly during the war, no doubt on account of the shortage of shipping. In normal times about three fourths of this class of goods came from Great Britain. In 1917 the import thence dropped to 30 per cent. and that from Egypt rose to 64 per cent.; but it may be taken for granted that all such goods coming from Egypt were really of British origin.