FREE PORT OF BARCELONA 213

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Reconsignment and transshipment trade. —No statistics of this trade
have been kept and it can only be stated that its volume so far has
been small. Barcelona is looked upon as a logical distributing
“enter for the western Mediterranean and especially for north Africa
ind the Canary Islands, and these classes of trade should increase
substantially in the future.
Manufacturing in the free deposit.—While in theory certain kinds
of manufacturing are permitted in the free deposit, none has been so
far carried out unless an exception be made of assembling of automobiles
 which though permitted has not actually commenced as
yet. Manufacturing proper will probably only commence with the
*stablishment of the free port to which reference has already been
made.
Shipbuilding and ship repairing.—No shipbuilding or repairing is
Possible in the free deposit with the present facilities nor does it seem
likely that even when the free port is established more than possibly
ome repairing will be done there, since Spanish shipyards work
most exclusively for a highly protected market.
Importance of free port on the development of Joreign trade and the
merchant marine.—On account of the relatively small traffic which has
been so far carried on it can not be said that the free deposit has had
iny great effect on the development of Spain’s foreign trade or its
Merchant marine. That upon the completion of the free port they
will be favorably influenced can hardly be doubted but this is a matter
f the future.
Statistics covering operations of the free deposit.—As far as can be
earned no statistics have been kept covering the merchandise entered
ind dispatched from the free deposit. It is understood that there
Was a very considerable increase in the use of its facilities in 1927
nd that among the articles passing through it were automobiles,
*hemical products, cereals, hides, machinery, tires, jute, and scrap
ubber. The Credito y Docks de Barcelona in 1927 issued credits
"0 merchandise to the extent of 3,349,919 pesetas. While a largo
bart of these undoubtedly covered merchandise in the free deposit, it
‘an hardly be accepted as an indication of the value of the goods since
Nany of them may not have been the subject of loans and also loans
Nay have been made by other institutions. As previously mentioned
ceipts two or three years ago for sortage of merchandise only
“Mounted to some 70,000 pesetas annually which indicates the
relatively small amount of business done.

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