SINO-SOVIET BLOC NICKEL POSITION, 1957

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP62-00328A000100510013-6
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 13, 2001
• Sequence Number: 13
• Publication Date: July 29, 1958
• Content Type: MF

Approved For Release 2001/03/Q- (I,&-Q2-00328A000100510013-6
Y zc -39
Control No, 4877
29 J 1958
MEMORODUM FOR. Scone .c Def ine InteUtge a C .tte e
FROM Chatnp EOIC
SUBJECT a S:1w.,"S s .ett Bloc Nickel Position, 367
RE SEEN '' E.)ZC Case No,, 249 SECOM
L. The attached inteil glow d oln me nt on the Sx,no-=Soviet bio N itim*, .
PositionD 1957 was prepared by CIA am-A r t with DF1 in response to
tk eferenre Cass No, 24 initiated by the Department of Coamarcea It Is
now diet r: aix. . for zreview an,1 acceptance by EMC members..
2, If no re xeat for e,rar, .: ,ttee discussion of thin doo nt is received
prior to the c1 nt^ cf bun r 8 Au It 19 8e it *- .. l b : vog&adtx1 ad approved
and the came will be clpt L,
25X1A9a
.Attac .atg
SiToSoviet B. 'We aai. Position9 1.957
.ice,st ibut iont
Cxt9 E c 0-5 89 IC)
D w ,1
25X1A9a
D p ty Director (Coordination)
ehhne ? i. liSA (Rat)
Approved For Release 2001/03/02 : CIA-RDP62-00328A000100510013-6
 Approved For Relea 2001/03/07:4CTA=`RDP62-003284PO0100510013-6
EDIC/ID-39
Control No, 487762
29 July 1958
Sint"oviet Bloc Nickel Positions 1957
Summu7 and Conclusions
The apparent supply of nickel in the Sino.-Soviet Bloc in 1957 was sufficient
to meet the indicated requirements for direct military applications and to
provide for a relatively low level of consumption for non-military, user.
B. Source of SNo1
Total Bloc supplies are estimated at 598600 short tons including production
of approximately 598500 short tons and net imports from the Free t?.orld of about
100 tons. Except for a small amount @ probably less than 200 short tons
produced in East Germany, all of the Bloc?s production of nickel came from the
USSR. Other Bloc countries are almost entiraely dependent on the USSR for their
supplies of nickel. Soviet shipments to the European Satellites approximated
5,,700 short tons in 1957, most of which was exported to Last Gormany, Czechoslo-
vakiap and Poland, Soviet exports to Communist China may have amounted to
almost 1,9200 short tons. Exports from the USSR to non-Bloc countries (Finland
and Yugoslavia) are tentatively estimated at 200 to 300 short tons,
The dependence of the Bloc on Soviet production is expected to continue9
although current plans provide for the development of additional supplies in
East Germany and Czechoslovakia. Production in East Germany is scheduled to
increase to about 1,9100 short tons by 1960.9 but it is doubtful that this goal
will be achieved.. Czechoslovakia has begun to extract nickel from Albanian
iron=nickel ore and, by 1960,, production may amount to 900 to 19800 short tons
if present planes are fulfilled. Until 1955 Poland was a small producer of
nickel but it is believed that the nickel deposits in that country have been
exhausted,
C. Consumption Pattern m Sim-age
As the use of nickel is closely associated with that of steel, the follo%ring
table compares the availability of nickel per ton of steel produced in the
U.S., the Free World,, and in sectors of the Sino-Soviet Bloc in 1957. The
data indicate that although the avai bility of nickel per ton of steel
production in the Sino Soviet Bloc as a whole was 75 percent of that of the Free
World.9 the share of the European Satellites and Communist China was only 30
percent and 20 percent respectively of the Free World figure. Availability In
the USSR, hoer 'g was 85 percent of that in the United States, and nearly
equivalent to the Free World average.
Approved For Release 2001/03/02 : CIA-RDP62-00328A000100510013-6
 ic::~,?sue :?.7.Sr't1bi'=~.
Approved For Relea a 2001/03/02 Cl RDP62-00328 p00100510013-6
Pow of Nickel Available per
Short Ton of Crude Steel Inc ez
raj, Flo World 2a0
T ]. Sl=- b Bloc
Etwopean
Satem.t
1.9
O .&t.
.#i If 11 e ld ttr , sh1 ants in 1957 were c rtcto to the European Sate&` t is
the apparent supply in these c oc t es would h" a tpp ziir t+ d 0.7 poem + of
x ck 1 per ton of crude stee p
To have att ined this Flo World (not the 'U.S,) level of nickel availability
In 1,957 it wouii h&vt been nocwsary for the I3Io? to have in s its fz' ?I.
by about. 21,9000 tons r 35 pa c atr,
Although the nicks 1 supply of the USSR adequate to provide for mii .fir'
r e q % i L m acts in present p c tin condittorss these priority dank + stl,-
rrr ted to cat us i neei r 65 p ere at of the appr rent supp ,, Ni el nv W; l
for non-r&I-i-tary applic. tion; in the USSR in 1.9%? 1s esti tod at 0, .9 pour
per ah*rt ? n of steel mill p re :rant:, used for tkr e t se - 39 p 4rcent of
t,xh t1 pounds so $ nnue? in the U.S. This cord, sou could beccmex. low
favorable t o the USSR ifs becai ;o of the oor imied d t 1 of Free World x< . e1
to the iocra the U SSL Is -forced to dives 1ncren iag ounce of Soviet
production to the Europe SatelUt and Miza in order to provide mo ?a
tl .t n:.iy for the gm.ng requir dents of these c +a xat .es4
":o su t,;ion of nickel in the, USSR :"or ot"z then high priority tpplie tic ns
r thr inhihi.ted by the Id.gh cost of the instal resulting farm tk ioce.tt.on
and l xadd of i.ndi ernot$ n1cke 1. bearing ores. The lire ~tm
e 'W at of 25v 000 pe as ton
o:4 rie: canancit r svi d by he direr ?ive of t e Sixth Five Ye v Plan is lnozs
than five tines that realirLred for the International Nt e1 Grampany?m nw.a Thompson
mine in Northam Iant.t6 a The intoni l price of nickel of R0 24,9400 per ton
Is a1 -a slue times the U.S. price in rel tion to able/dol ;ir pores of
x stn s?t 1 mil.). pfdanctsn
Sor1et,q hav6 bs n Ingemlous in cis vlzring alloys Which cons o Scarce
42:U ing e rats with the result that they qu t1 r use t U< containing
Approved For Release 2001/03/02 : CIA-RDP62-00328A000100510013-6
 Approved For Relea 2001/03/02 :' CIA-RDDP62-0032 000100510013-6
.cbleut,: a o lmst
lL TUC a "ti4*10 'I"iM;?:' `,s
'*I," t":) ' s an the for, IX'. cae
v,.,fr; ;? T i,yt., in w'h:E..C:h t'~l:K'dTFtttf,.lai -, Uto :B'ai'wu:p and n.,;trogerc can be wed kn
"hic - 19,57 _ n)c, of ,n o ..-I.d .. r.cga f' the cadet GO*" at ]
c14 o :~ c,k~l ix :r n t:hU Unite. a n~3t ?e ie:i~ f(), ZAMIJt
"q ht i.n'n+ ;re et UL the production of a lniyizs 3 tiel and heat .
f-13 ^.t:.x:?k aU c p ed f av in .ak ; Sixth Flw Year Pia 1 {
an. of ' ah +4:r 1 s nbst .t : of n -Ice2pne-ontainiii.;t steo1a are of reafl
b ti, qp t tT of nSr c:k Trees' fore, the acor-A ary of rLlwe,%Ara't xd thT7
.~ ; . c conorarc. i~z't. i etc e
"Pro h.?hgtt n th intradlnation of chrorainm st49o1c, It. is xaeo ?
>s:-Y ?(a edisla-.1b e f u d. wI;;ich a e allotted to eonstn+..fi rs of
~ .:gal as tskel, ate ). worth rnf.ckol skou2.d b provided or%ie where
r