Madrid, Spain ? Iraq’s postwar reconstruction received a boost Friday as nations from Japan to Saudi Arabia pledged $13 billion in new aid on top of more than $20 billion from the United States. But the figure fell well short of the estimated $56 billion needed to rebuild the country, and much came in the form of loans that could saddle Iraq with new debts.

Secretary of State Colin Powell and U.S. Treasury Secretary John Snow promised to immediately campaign to convert the loans into outright grants.

“The United States will work with other nations to get the level down,” Snow said at a news conference, while Powell acknowledged the contributions were solicited so arduously it was not clear how many were in loans and how many grants.

Iraq already has a debt of $120 billion, with annual servicing charges of $7 billion to $8 billion. The Bush administration, mindful of the burden, planned all U.S. aid to be in grant form, but Congress is still weighing that approach. Some U.S. lawmakers favor loans based on the prospect that Iraq will be oil-rich in a few years and able to pay its debts with oil revenue.

After the conference closed, Spanish Finance Minister Rodrigo Rato said it raised $33 billion in pledges, including the American money, a figure that did not include export credits, technical assistance or other noncash aid.

European Union official Chris Patten noted that past fund-raisers experienced long delays in making good on pledges. “We need to get the money out of the banks and into Iraq as soon as possible,” he said.

The pledges were drawn from Asia and, far less so, from Europe. Japan offered the second-biggest pledge: $1.5 billion in grants for 2004 and $3.5 billion in loans for 2005-07.

Saudi Arabia pledged $1 billion. The richest country in the Arab world said half would be in loans through 2007 and the rest would be in export credits.

However, the kingdom also hinted at supporting a U.S. push to relieve some of Iraq’s debt. Prince Saud Al-Faisal, the foreign minister, said Saudi Arabia was ready to reduce some of the $24 billion it was owed by Iraq.

In an interview with European newspapers published Friday, Powell expressed regret that France and Germany weren’t pledging new aid. The two leading opponents of the U.S.-led war in Iraq are holding back to show their disapproval of the U.S. blueprint for restoring Iraqi sovereignty.

Some of the pledges were unusual. Vietnam offered rice to Iraq, and Sri Lanka gave tea.