nsit
18it
ersies

Ta~
970
in

of
he

FREE PORT OF SALONIKI

287

are destined for such parts of southern Albania that are not easily
accessible from the Adriatic seaboard.
The use of the free zone by Bulgaria and Rumania for transit
trade is practically nil at the present time. In the case of Bulgaria
this is due to the lack of direct railway connection between Bulgaria
and Saloniki, while in the case of Rumania the latter finds it more
economical to use its Black Sea ports.
The volume of the traffic between the four countries named and
Saloniki will be seen from the following table:

mn.
ad

rts

'$
ng
155
108
16
34
73
kr]

39
187
t04

77
94
88
IR

81
22
Fo :4

39
30
1

107
a4

3

4

3

)-oe

a
a

1026

1927

1926

| 1827

(mports into the Greek free zone:
From Yugoslavia.___..___..
From Rumania... ..._.__.
From Bulgaria... _........_.
From Albani@.. oo coe oo ___

Tons
14,192
34,817
1,642
37

Tons
76, 610
10, 061
£220
155

Exports from the Greek free zone:
To Yugoslavia... ..___..____.
To Rumania___......______.
To Bulgaria... ___.......
To Albania_. .

Tons | Tons
16,143 | 14,155
30 34
52 | 68
2,285 3, 044

YUGOSLAV TRAFFIC THROUGH SALONIKI

At the present time Yugoslavia, of all the Balkan States, is the
most directly interested in the free zone facilities at the port of Saloniki.
 However, the part of Yugoslavia that can be economically
served through this port is only a small portion of southern Serbia
extending from the Greek border north to a line parallel with Nish.
Heretofore a small amount of transit traffic found its destination as
far north as Belgrade. In recent years, however, while Yugoslavia’s
exports to Greece by way of Saloniki have been increasing, its transit
trade through Saloniki has been diminishing. This has been due in a
measure to the policy of the Yugoslav Government in influencing the
flow of its foreign trade through its Adriatic ports. It is with the intention
 of favoring Adriatic ports that the Yugoslav Government
grants a 10 per cent rebate in customs duties and a 10 per cent rebate
in railway freight rates on merchandise shipped through these ports.
As was pointed out in a preceding paragraph, all merchandise imported
 into Saloniki must be entered in the Greek free zone, irrespective
 of its ultimate destination. On account of its limited space,
the Greek free zone authorities have permitted the Yugoslav free
zone to handle directly certain bulky commodities and such as are
intended for Yugoslav Government monopolies. In 1927 these included
 salt destined for the Yugoslav State salt monopoly. Cattle,
sheep, hay, barrel staves, fuel wood, coal, and certain minerals
were also permitted to be brought into the Yugoslav free zone directly
by rail from Yugoslavia without the necessity of having to be entered
in the Greek free zone. With the exception of 120 tons of minerals,
these commodities were for Greek consumption and did not enter
into the export trade to other countries.