The Customs Free Port of Trieste is not a privilege for Trieste, but an advantage for Italy

The International Customs Free Port of Trieste represents an advantage for the whole of Italy, not an undue privilege for Trieste, and its special status is rooted in international law since 1719.

That is one of the key points of the speech held by our President and CEO, Enrico Samer, during the webinar focused on the current state and future evolution of the Port of Trieste, promoted and organized by the Propeller Club of Trieste.

In particular, reference was made to a few primary benefits granted by the several decrees on the Customs Free Port of Trieste, which should be therefore applied by law, but that is not always the case, e.g. the free access to the port of ships and goods without any restrictions, the opportunity for the President of the Port Authority to authorize the processing of goods and the establishment of industrial plants, and the possibility to manipulate and unload goods without any particular constraints because they are external to the Italian borders.

Those are all opportunities to be considered, if fully applied, unique in Europe compared to other ports that do not enjoy the same conditions and which could be an important driver for the national economic development. Such considerations were underlined by our President after the Port of Bari complained for alleged unfair competition the Port of Trieste against the other ports on the Adriatic Sea.

Beyond any legal issues or evaluations, he declared how ’any political trifles - expose Trieste, and Italy too, to the real risk of losing important transport quotes, and referring to the port of Trieste in particular, those of the roro traffic from Türkiye, to the benefit of foreign ports such as that of Koper in Slovenia or Rijeka in Croatia, which are already equipped, or getting there, to allow for the unlimited and tax-free passage of Turkish trucks.

While the demand for Free Zones is growing in Europe, we forget we already have an area with exclusive and relevant advantages that have to be protected, and certainly not limited’.