Chapter 89 Industry and Commerce

A party was going on in the garden of the Tatoi Palace.

The elites of the industrial and commercial class in Greece gathered in twos and threes and whispered.

"Why, this cotton textile factory has just been put into operation, and it has set its sights on the dye business?" Constantine looked at Kontoriotis in surprise.

"Hey, Your Highness, do you know that our cotton cloth only needs to pay 8% tariff when it is shipped to Ottoman Turkey?" Although Kontoriotis lowered his voice, he could not hide his excitement.

Due to pressure from European countries, the tariff of Ottoman Turkey has been maintained at 8% for a long time. This tariff level is not enough to protect the development of Ottoman Turkey's domestic industry.

You know, the rising stars of industrial countries, Germany and the United States, have repeatedly raised import tariffs on industrial products in order to develop their own industries.

As pioneers of the industrial revolution, Britain and France have successively completed the first industrial revolution, and their production capacity has been greatly improved. Whether it is Germany or the United States, in the late 19th century, they tacitly raised tariffs to protect the development of their own industries.

The tariffs between the two countries in the mid-to-late 19th century reached a height of more than 40%.

Compared with this tariff level, the Ottoman tariff of 8% is really low enough.

The Ottoman Empire's industry has been slow to develop and grow, and this low level of tariffs has played a great role.

This also led to the Ottoman Empire importing a large number of goods from European countries, with a serious trade deficit and a surplus state, resulting in a decrease in the currency circulating in the market.

"Those European, especially British and French cotton cloth merchants, are not as competitive as us"

After long-term trade exchanges with Europe, the farmers of the Ottoman Empire also realized the benefits of growing cash crops. For example, large areas of cotton were planted on the Mediterranean coast of Asia Minor.

These cottons are generally purchased by British and French merchants, processed into cotton cloth, and then sold to Turkey.

However, due to the distance problem, Turkey and Greece are only separated by the Aegean Sea, and this round trip is much closer than that of Britain and France.

"Your Excellency, Duke, if we seize the cotton cloth market in Ottoman Turkey, what a huge business it would be." Kontoriotis rubbed his hands back and forth in excitement.

"At that time, the Turkish turbans and robes will all use cotton cloth produced in Greece."

"Such a big business, the only problem is the problem of dyes. Now Greece hardly produces them, and all are imported from abroad, which is not cheap."

Constantine looked at Kontoriotis with a smile. This man is really imaginative.

Just relying on the influence of the political forces of Britain and France in Turkey, it is impossible for Greece to monopolize the cotton cloth market in Ottoman Turkey.

"You have to know that the production of dyes requires a deep chemical industry. Greece is completely blank in this regard," Constantine said to Kontoriotis with regret.

"It's blank now, but it won't be blank in two days."

Looking at Kontoriotis's meaningful expression, Constantine thought of Nobel.

As for why Nobel, who was engaged in the explosives business, was involved with dyes, it's a long story.

Explosives, dyes, and medicines all have one thing in common, which is the driving force of the development of the chemical industry in modern Europe.

For example, picric acid dynamite, which first appeared in people's vision as a synthetic dye, until one day, an unlucky worker took a hammer to hit an iron can filled with picric acid, and it exploded. Then everyone realized that this thing could also be used as explosives.

There is also sulfonamide, which was also known as a dye. German chemists accidentally discovered that sulfonamide has anti-inflammatory and bactericidal effects and is the first anti-inflammatory drug used by humans.

So, since Nobel can produce explosives, dyes are naturally no problem.

It seems that Kantoriotis has received news that Nobel will come to Athens to open a factory.

Come to think of it, Kantoriotis's idea is not bad. Since he has decided to develop the textile industry, he will eat up this industrial chain completely, from spinning raw cotton to weaving, dyeing, and even clothing, plus dye production. Such a one-stop industrial chain, every link can provide many jobs for Greece.

Except for textile machinery, which Greece cannot produce, this industry is almost completely mastered.

"Since you are interested, you can try to persuade Mr. Nobel to set up a factory in Greece to produce explosives and dyes after he comes to visit."

"I think it's not just explosives and dyes. Since Mr. Nobel is in the chemical industry, he can also produce some basic chemical industry raw materials, such as caustic soda."

"Our soap factory needs this thing, and so far it has been imported in large quantities from Europe."

Suddenly someone interrupted, and Constantine looked up and saw that it was Costebru.

Costebru saw that the two were talking about the chemical industry and joined the topic.

The Greek Congo General Company planted a lot of palm trees in Congo. As the general manager, in order to increase profits, Costebru simply built a soap factory in Greece, using the company's palm oil as raw material.

"In this case, wait until Nobel arrives and you can discuss it together."

Then everyone gathered together, including Skarloi, the manager of the steel plant, Nina, the manager of the artemisinin factory, Tesla, Alexandros and others, and almost all the industrial and commercial operators in Greece gathered together.

This was intentional by Constantine. After all, he didn't want to leave such a fixed impression: the Greek prince was just a soldier.

He needed to give the Greek people, especially the upper class of Greece, a positive and progressive image. He was an open-minded person.

Seeing everyone gathered together, Constantine took the opportunity to say: "Since everyone is here, let me tell you one thing."

"I decided to open a machinery factory under the name of the steel plant. As for the initial products, it is to produce bicycles," Constantine said to the gathered people.

"You also know that bicycles are a very complicated industrial product, which requires everyone's cooperation."

If it was in the 21st century, someone said that bicycles are a complicated industrial product, people would definitely sneer. What kind of complicated industrial product is a bicycle.

But for Greece, which has a weak industrial foundation at this time, Constantine is very satisfied to be able to produce bicycles.

First of all, such an industrial product can connect various factories in Greece.

For example, in the rubber industry, vulcanized rubber is used to make tires, which requires rubber from Congo.

Steel is used to make bicycle frames, and special steel is used for bearings.

Although it is an industrial product with few integrated parts, it is very suitable for Greece, which has opened the beginning of developing machinery.

Due to the large-scale road construction in Greece recently, it has provided a large market for bicycles.

"Costermullu, your Greek Congo General Company, consider building a vulcanized rubber factory. Now almost all tires in Greece have to be imported. Can your Greek Congo General Company rubber growers be willing to be a raw material supplier?"