214 
FOREIGN TRADE ZONES 
THE FREE PORT OF BILBAO, SPAIN 
[From H, A. Doolittle, American consul, Bilbao, Spain) 
History. ~The creation of the free port of Bilbao was approved by 
a royal decree of July 30, 1918, the promulgation of which had been 
secured through the efforts of local entities occurring almost simul- 
taneously, with similar action by other ports around the Spanish 
coast. 
The royal decree in question provided for the organization of a 
consortium composed by the provincial diputacién or assembly, the 
chamber of commerce, industry and navigation. and the board of 
harbor works of the city of Bilbao. 
As a free port, however, that of Bilbao is such in name only. Coin- 
cidental with the agitation in favor of the establishment of free ports, 
the interior cities of Spain which felt or imagined that their interests 
might be damaged by the establishment of territories or districts 
not hampered by customs regulations, commenced a counterattack 
on the idea, and, as is usual in such cases, the resulting free ports 
granted were a compromise between the views of the interior and 
coastal cities, resulting in effect in nothing more than a system more 
or less corresponding with our own bonded warehouses in the United 
States. 
Under the terms of the decree mentioned the consortium was 
authorized to emit obligations up to the amount of 4,000,000 pesetas, 
for the purpose of setting apart a portion of land in the port at 
Santurce at the mouth of the outer harbor, building warehouses, and 
establishing services and tariffs in connection with the workings, and 
the port as such commenced functioning in 1920. 
Description.—The free port of Bilbao occupies an area of 15 hec- 
bares, or about 3714 acres, in the northwest corner of the harbor in 
the section known as Santurce, mostly on ground made by dredging 
and filling operations. It is divided into plots or sections between 
four longitudinal streets of 22 meters in width and six transversal 
streets of 30 meters width. The greater part of the extension is ab 
present unoccupied, the warehouses and existing buildings only 
covering 44,400 square meters. A temporary barrier at one end 
incloses the section at present occupied, and may be moved forward 
in a longitudinal direction as the growth of the deposit seems tO 
warrant. 
Berthing space.—The berthing space of the port is a longitudinal 
quay with a length of 641 meters and 15 meters width, having a depth 
of 10 meters of water at equinoctial low tides. 
Warehouses.—The total warehouse space at present is 12,000 squar® 
meters in four buildings. 
Warehouse No. 1, of reinforced concrete, occupies an area of 105 
by 28 meters. It consists of a cellar and first floor, and is calculated