Page 117 - Mellinato, Giulio, and Aleksander Panjek. Eds. 2022. Complex Gateways. Labour and Urban History of Maritime Port Cities: The Northern Adriaticin a Comparative Perspective. Koper: University of Primorska Press.
P. 117
Trieste 1948–1952: A Contended Port City and the Marshall Plan
Among the beneficiary countries, Trieste was the fastest, together
with England, in making use of the ERP aid assigned it: by December 1948
almost 70% of the aid granted up to that point had already been commit-
ted, compared to 40% in Italy, 34% in Germany and 52% in France; cu-
mulative utilization progressively increased to 91% in mid-1951 (Spagnolo
2001, tab. 3.1). By the end of 1949, the procurement authorizations con-
nected with the ERP-Trieste project consisted of more than 50% of goods
coming from the United States, while a further 16% consisted of crude oil.
Noteworthy is the fact that more than 20% of the total expenses was ab-
sorbed by the ocean freights paid to transport the goods. The Trieste per-
centage was extremely high: for the entire programme, less than 8% of
the expenses was paid for ocean transportations. Italy paid 14%, Austria
and West Germany both paid almost 10%. Clearly, for Trieste, the trans-
portation of the aid was a business in itself; a sort of secondary benefit, in
addition to the goods, given for free.
Table 6.2: ERP-Trieste Procurement Authorizations - April 3, 1948,
December 31, 1949. (Thousands of dollars)
Area or Country of origin Destination Trieste
Grand total 23,155
Commodity total 18,327
Ocean freight 4,828
United States 12,338
Latin America 1,273
Participating countries 525
Other Countries 4,192
Middle East Oil Area 3,749
Siam 443
Source: Economic Cooperation Administration 1950, Table XIV–4
The Free Territory of Trieste was also the only participating country,
together with Belgium, to use 100% of the counterpart funds originat-
ing from US aid in industrial investments – more than twenty billion lire
at the time – compared to a share of 61% in France, 58% in Germany, and
52.3% in Italy (Spagnolo 2001, tab. 3.1).
Formally, the plan favoured all industrial activities, but on closer in-
spection they were, in most cases, activities closely related to the mari-
117
Among the beneficiary countries, Trieste was the fastest, together
with England, in making use of the ERP aid assigned it: by December 1948
almost 70% of the aid granted up to that point had already been commit-
ted, compared to 40% in Italy, 34% in Germany and 52% in France; cu-
mulative utilization progressively increased to 91% in mid-1951 (Spagnolo
2001, tab. 3.1). By the end of 1949, the procurement authorizations con-
nected with the ERP-Trieste project consisted of more than 50% of goods
coming from the United States, while a further 16% consisted of crude oil.
Noteworthy is the fact that more than 20% of the total expenses was ab-
sorbed by the ocean freights paid to transport the goods. The Trieste per-
centage was extremely high: for the entire programme, less than 8% of
the expenses was paid for ocean transportations. Italy paid 14%, Austria
and West Germany both paid almost 10%. Clearly, for Trieste, the trans-
portation of the aid was a business in itself; a sort of secondary benefit, in
addition to the goods, given for free.
Table 6.2: ERP-Trieste Procurement Authorizations - April 3, 1948,
December 31, 1949. (Thousands of dollars)
Area or Country of origin Destination Trieste
Grand total 23,155
Commodity total 18,327
Ocean freight 4,828
United States 12,338
Latin America 1,273
Participating countries 525
Other Countries 4,192
Middle East Oil Area 3,749
Siam 443
Source: Economic Cooperation Administration 1950, Table XIV–4
The Free Territory of Trieste was also the only participating country,
together with Belgium, to use 100% of the counterpart funds originat-
ing from US aid in industrial investments – more than twenty billion lire
at the time – compared to a share of 61% in France, 58% in Germany, and
52.3% in Italy (Spagnolo 2001, tab. 3.1).
Formally, the plan favoured all industrial activities, but on closer in-
spection they were, in most cases, activities closely related to the mari-
117
