FREE PORT OF BARCELONA 209

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Imports
(in metric tons)

Total
mports

mports
of coal,
oke, briquets


4,916
£9, 817
34, 088
12. 510

30, 497
18, 903
13, 614
23 884

Total
sxports

250, 302
20, 410
132, 450
146, 097

Exports (in metric tons)

(ron-ore
axports

Salt
axnorts

Grape
BXDOrts

135, 361
132, 112
88, 707
305, 004

47, 545
19, 695
2134

45,952
51, 105
22,092
30, 033

Esparto
exports

12, 382
17,917
12, 050
13, 791

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764

THE FREE PORT OF BARCELONA, SPAIN
[From Frank Anderson Henry, American consul, Barcelona, Spain]
Introductory.—Barcelona has at present in operation only a free
deposit (deposito franco) but is planning the establishment in the
hear future of a free port (puerto franco) in the fullest sense of the
word. This will involve the expenditure of large sums of money
and the construction of new port works at the mouth of the River
Llobregat, a few miles southwest of the city. As, however, the final
plans for the free port have not yet been accepted and their complete
realization will probably be a matter of years, this report will of
lecessity be limited chiefly to the existing régime of free deposits which
S very similar to that of bonded warehouses in the United States.
Brief history of the port.—The question of establishing some form
of free zones at Barcelona in order to offset some of the disadvantages
lo commerce of the strongly protectionist tariff policy of the Governnent,
 has been under discussion for many years. As early as 1901
‘he Camara de Comercio y Navegacion (Chamber of Commerce and
Navigation) of Barcelona made elaborate studies on free zones and
reported thereon to the Government. The same organization issued
Another report on the subject in 1915. The free deposit of Barcelona
vas authorized by royal decree of October 24, 1916, and royal order
f December 7, 1917, and was actually inaugurated in July, 1921.
The concession for the free deposit was granted to a semiofficial
body entitled the “Consorcio del Deposito Franco de Barcelona’
Since changed to Consorcio del Puerto Franco), representing various
®conomic interests of this region, and the actual operation was leased
Oy it to Credito v Docks de Barcelona, Pasaje del Comercio 7,
Barcelona, Spain, a banking and warehousing institution founded in
881.
For the first years of its existence, the free deposit was comparavely
 little used but during 1927 regulations governing it were liberlized
 in a number of ways and it will probably enjoy steady progress
0 the future until such time as its functions are taken over by the
Tee port.
Description of the free deposit and its facilities. —No attempt will be
Made to describe the proposed free port since even the plans for it