British Mandate: A Survey of Palestine: Volume I - Page 466

CHAPTER XIII.

69. A number of institutions in Palestine are entitled to the duty-free import of commodities which they use : the chief institutions are the Government, the military authorities, t[Je Iraq Petroleum Company and all religious and charitable organisations and consular offices. Prior to 1937 all imports by these institutions were included in class IV, and details of the commodities were not specified. In 1937, however, imports by these institutions were itemized as far as possible and distributed under the appropriate items of the first three classes.

Considerable difficulty was encountered in itemizing imports of military and N.A.A.F.I. stores and therefore these two institutions were again excluded, as from 1938, from the itemized statistics and furthermore from the total imports. Imports by the other institutions entitled to exemption, however, continued to be included in the itemized statistics and total imports.

70. Value of imports. -The value of imports represents the cost, insurance and freight as shown on the invoice and specification lists presented by merchants at the time of clearance and as subsequently checked by customs officials. Where no invoices are available the valuation of imports is carried out by customs officials.

The total value of imports of merchandise into Palestine according to the four main classes of commodities during the last eight years is shown in the following table :-

Raw material Articles wholly

Food, drink I and tobacco or mainly I

and mainly unmanufactured

tobacco manufactured

Animal. living, n.e.a.

I Total

merchandise

£P. £P. £P. £P. I £P.
19S7 4,147,841 l,G07,E&S 10,089,860 58,07'1 15,SOS,666
1938 S,209,287 1,138,i175 6,978,617 S0,684 11,866,963
1999 S,75fi,794 1.480,9U 9,862,448 SS,671 H,632,822
1940 S,47'1,760 2,827,356 6,240,487 15,229 12.560,812
19'1 4,629,632 2,641,487 G,8':i8,929 195,086 1S,S2U183
1942 7,067,885 5,111,259 8,867,662 828,466 I 21,875,222
1949 9,985,284 10,869,611 5,986,831 370,174 27,202,900
1944 14,285,166 18,784,120 8,061,809 142,651 I 36,223,716
71. The great increase in the money cost of Palestine's imports in the last five years of war was more than accounted for by increase in prices accompanied by substantial changes in the structure of the import trade. The following table shows the value of each of the four classes of imports as percentages of total imports in each year :-

Class

I. '::• 11 1::• 111::1 111::211 1::' 11 ":

10 22 20 24 40 38


I - Food, drink and tobacco JI - Articles mainly unmanifactured

HI - Articles mainly manufactured

IV - Animals, living, n.e.s.

Total merchandise

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