220 FOREIGN TRADE ZONES 
Reconsignment trade.—No statistics appear to be available covering 
the reconsignment trade at the free zone. The operating company 
reports that virtually all of the merchandise handled in the zone is 
destined for the provisioning of steamers, the decline in the volume 
of other merchandise received in recent vears making little available 
for reconsignment. 
Transshipment trade.—This trade is also reported as being negligible 
for the same reasons given in the foregoing paragraph. During the 
past four years a few American, Italian, and French motor vehicles 
have been received in the free zone for transshipment to other Mediter- 
ranean markets, but the value and volume of this trade has been but a 
minor factor in the activities of the zone as a whole. 
Manufacturing in free zone.—Aside from the manufacture of ice for 
sale to Cadiz fishing vessels there is stated to be no manufacturing 
industries established in the free zone. No information is available 
as to the value and amount of ice thus manufactured. A small 
portion of it'is sold to steamers calling at the zone, but the bulk goes 
to supply the fishing fleets of the port of Cadiz. 
Tt should be noted that efforts made from time to time to establish 
manufacturing enterprises in the free zone have not met with the ap- 
proval of the Spanish Government. 
Shipbuilding and ship repair in free zone.—Shipbuilding and ship 
repair are not undertaken in the free zone. 
Influence on development of foreign trade.—The declining importance 
of the port of Cadiz in the foreign trade of Spain is tending to make the 
free zone of little value in the foreign trade of this country. At the 
present time the zone serves chiefly as a deposit for nontaxed mer- 
chandise (principally coal) for use in supplying steamers calling at 
Cadiz. This narrowing scope of the zone’s activities combined with 
the consistently maintained attitude of the Government in frowning 
upon any effort to increase the use of the free zone has served to render 
the zone of little commercial importance in this territory with the re- 
sult that it has at the present time only a minor influence on the foreign 
trade of southern Spain. 
Influence on the merchant marine—The operating company states 
that the present activities of the free zone indicate that it is exerting 
little if any influence on the merchant marine of this country. It serve 
chiefly as a source of steamers’ provisions and supplies, and while the 
majority of the vessels calling thereat are of Spanish registry, it is of 
little relative importance in the development of the merchant marin? 
of this country. 
Statistics covering merchandise received in free zone.—The following 
figures give the volume of merchandise received at the free zone sinc? 
it was taken over by the present operators. Since 1924 the commod” 
ties received have been composed largely of coal from the British