<Tr> <Td> 1614 </Td> <Td> 8 </Td> <Td> 13,942 </Td> <Td> 23,000 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1615 </Td> <Td> 6 </Td> <Td> 26,660 </Td> <Td> 26,065 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1616 </Td> <Td> 7 </Td> <Td> 52,087 </Td> <Td> 16,506 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <P> Initially, the company struggled in the spice trade because of the competition from the already well - established Dutch East India Company . The company opened a factory in Bantam on the first voyage, and imports of pepper from Java were an important part of the company's trade for twenty years . The factory in Bantam was closed in 1683 . During this time ships belonging to the company arriving in India docked at Surat, which was established as a trade transit point in 1608 . </P>

The first trade centre of english east india company in india