Foreign Trade of Palestine: Percentage of Imports From Certain Countries of Origin, 1939-1944 in Palestine before 1948 (Nakba), British Mandate: A Survey of Palestine: Volume I - Page 473. Chapter XIII: Section 2

CHAPTER XIII.

Owing to the severe limitation of the shipping space allotted to Palestine's import trade during the war years, Palestine had to find its sources of supply in the neighbouring countries and, as will be seen from the following summary, the Near East countries became the chief suppliers of Palestine's imports.

PERCENTAGE OF IMPORTS FROM CERTAIN COUNTRIES AND REGIONS, 1939-1944.

1939

1940

1941

194Z

1943

1944

Per cent. of total imports
United Kingdom 16.4 1111.6 27,5 18.8 6.1 8.2
British noseeeetcue" 5.5 9.5 22.1 38.6 !M.3 24.0
U.S. America. 18.8 9.9 9.9 10.8 7.6 8.6
Kiddle Baateru 1'1.'l 29.6 84.0 29.8 60.0 56.8
countries
Other countries 4'1'.l 31.4 5.9 9.0 ... ...
-- -- -- --
100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 The value of imports from the Middle Eastern countries rose from £P.2.6 million in 1939 to £P.20.6 million in 1944. Excluding the value of imports of crude oil imported from Iraq for the Consolidated Refineries, amounting to £P.8.3 million in 1944, the imports from these countries in 1944 was five times the figure of 1939. (See further in section 3 below).

78. Exports. - "Exports" comprise all commodities of Palestinian produce or manufacture which are exported. They include all commodities manufactured in Palestine, whether of local or of imported raw materials, and all commodities of foreign produce or manufacture which have been processed in any way within the "free circulation" in the country.

79. Value of exports. - The value of exports represents the cost and the charges of delivering the goods on board the export ship or wagon as declared by the exporters, or as assessed by the customs officials if either the value declared or the invoice presented is considered to be incorrect. In the case of citrus exports, it is not possible for the exporter to declare correct values at the time of export, as the fruit is consigned to destinations (mainly the United Kingdom) for disposal by auction. In consequence citrus fruit is valued for custom purposes at a fixed price each season.

80. The total value of exports of Palestine produce according to the main classes of commodities in the last eight years is given in the following table :-
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* Excluding Cyprus and Sudan which are included under Near Ea.st. countries

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