FOREIGN TRADE ZONES
1. The customhouse, viz, the collector of customs, customs offices,
and office apartments for the customs officers and for examination
of travelers’ light luggage.
2. Officers of the Swedish State railway.
3. The berthing master.
On the first floor the Malmo Free Port Co. have their offices.
The second floor contains—besides rooms for the staff of the customhouse—also
a number of office chambers and stock rooms to be let
to private firms. The basement is arranged into storerooms.
Rail and highway connections.— The principal railroad connections
with the two ports of Malmo are:
Malmo—Stockholm, northern Sweden, and steamship connections
with eastern Europe.
Malmo—Goteborg—Oslo.
Malmo—Trelleborg and the Continent (ferry).
Malmo-Copenhagen (ferry) and the Continent, etc.
The principal highway connections with the ports of Malmo are:
Malmo—-Landskrona~Helsingborg—Goteborg; Malmo-Lund-Eslov-Stockholm;
Malmo-Kristianstad; Malmo—-Ystad; Malmo—Simrishamn;
Malmo-Trelleborg; ete.
Administration.—Since the inauguration of the free port at Malmo
in 1922 it has been the opinion of the Harbor Board of Malmo, a
municipal institution, that the free port company, which by virtue
of a long-term contract rents the free port from the city, competes
detrimentally with the customs port, and the board believes that a
more economical administration of the two ports may be obtained
if under one management. It, therefore, submitted a request to the
city council for the appropriation of 800,000 Swedish crowns
($214,000) for the purchase of all the stock of the free port company.
On the 20th of February, 1925, the city council granted the request.
For a while much difficulty was experienced in making purchases as
the majority was held by a few persons who believed that in time
the free port might become a very remunerative enterprise and who
were, therefore, reluctant to dispose of their holdings. The high
hopes entertained for the success of the free harbor can not be said
to have been realized, however, and the board has now succeeded
in obtaining the desired majority.
The free harbor is controlled and operated by the Malmo Frihamnsaktiebolag
(Malmo Free Port Co.). This company, appointed port
administrators by the city, was formed for the purpose of devoting
itself exclusively to the management of the free port. The company
has charge of the cranes, warehouses, and storage grounds, and performs
all operations in discharging and loading vessels, transport of
goods within the area of the free port, etc. The entire organization
is thus concentrated in one body, as is the case in most large free ports
in other countries.
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