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 auto- 
mobiles 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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