RELATIVE IMPORTANCE OF (Classified)

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP62S00346A000100020060-9
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 28, 1998
• Sequence Number: 60
• Publication Date: May 28, 1958
• Content Type: MEMO

STANDARD FORM tip. BL
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0 ce Meyno~unduyn ? UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT
To Chief, Economic Research Area, t)RR DATE: 28 ],~~
TEI$U Chief, Materiels 13ivision, ORR
FROM Chief, Chemicals Branch, D~M/RR
Relative Importance of
REF : Chief, ERA, Memo of 22 May 1958 (Secret)
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1. In accordance with the request made in referenced memo,
~,__ ~_._
rw.a... w vcu~. viL 4LiG i'C.L$r ~i~.YP. 1H~7ortia~nc@' O~
concerning the chemical incbustries
e Sino-3c~viet Bloc. The titles and report numbers df some
~ documents which have been particularly helpfral to this Branch
are also listed.
25X1A2g 2. The importance ofd reports compared with other sources
which provide economic intelligence information on the chemical
industry, varies considerably depending on the geographic area.
The greatest volume of documents-and the most valuable information
25X1A2g received in concerns the European Satellites,
especially as~ rmsny. Some valuable information is received
via this source on Communist China but relatively little information
is prov3,ded on the USSR and Forth Korea. In general, 25X1A2g
have proved superior to other sources in providing intelligence on
ifi
spec
c c1he,`mical products and on the production of individual
chemical 1'~1.aAts. In addition _ detai 7 ~~ nnmwv,a; ~.t. .4....,.a,. ~_~:_ ~_--
atiraveg~.c comtnod3.ties to the Bloc (C()C4M). Also
,
25X1A2g reports are unequaled in reporting the fcuictions and
reso.u~.ons of CEMA. Two important reports concerning CEMA are --
"The Council for Economic Mutual Assistance (CEMA)" 25X1A2g
of l2 June 1957)s and "CEN1A Resolutions Concertling Soviet Bloc
Chemical. Industry` ~ of 2g June 1956). 25X1A2g
3. The following are specific comments regarding
xeporting on some of the Bloc countries:
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mast German3r
There 3s generally good overt coverage for over-all statistics,
but it is necessary to depend on- material for. breakdowns of
production data by plants, trade infoxmation by commodity and country,
and for data on distribution. and inputs.
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Particularly uaef'u].~oaumenta received during the past
year include the following:
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These contain monthly reports prepared on official East German
government forms and list planned and actual supply and distribution
for a number of chemical commodities. They contain data on production,
imports, and exports.
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These reports contain proposed plena for production at moat
of the larger Last German chemical plants, and show entire production
schedu3.es for the plants. They include supplemental information on
actual pmd~-ction for the preceding year, prices of commodities, and
amount of output consumed by the plants themselves.
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This document contained reports prepared on official East German
forms by over 26) chemical plants and gave for each plant: output,
by prod~zct, in quantity and value terms; financial data; ms~ower and
wage statistics; and electric power consumption.
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These two documents contained bi-weekly reports, on East German
forma, showing planned and actual production of many mayor chemicals
by individual producing plants.
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This report was a comprehensive study on the East German aulflxrie
acid industry, present and future, and was prepared by an East German
$OVerntnient COIm1188ion.
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This report is a aoll.ection of doawsents which contain itemized
production plans for a number of plants for the Second Five Year Plan
(1956-64), together with estimated input requirements.
Czechoslovakia
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These reports ftixrnish the only available information on the
detailed breakdown of the chemical industry and reorganization
currently underway. They also show #.o some extent the patters of
development of the industry in recent years.
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(Spolana Plant in Neratovice)
This report is a good examlale of reporting on the activities
of a chemical plant. Very little information was available from
other sources on this plant.
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Hunk "Y
(Tiszavietieki Chemical Combine)
Up to the time of the I{ungaxian Revolution, this report was the
most complete and accurate document on the mayor industrial. under-
taking of the Hungarian Second Five Year Plan.
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Rumania
(Yards Chemical Plant)
These two reports supply a wealth of detailed information on
current operations and future plans for one of the most important
chemical producing plants in the country.
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~ reports provide the mrast complete information on the
organization of the chemical industry and personnel in the central
government than is given by other sources.
This report was very helpful. for its analysis of the supply
situation on pharmaceuticals, especially antibiotics, in Poland.
These reports contain valuable information on specific chemical
plants which usually is not available 25X1X1
Coaam~r9tist China
- reports axe potentially important sources of economic data
on the Far East. The interchanges of trade and industry delegations
between Communist China and. the Free World (especially Japan) are
beginning to pmvide valuable information which can be exploited
-3-
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through In light of several recent reports
the intelligence potential of these various del.egatioas, particularly
for the Chinese chemical fertilizer industry, appears especially
promising and is looked on with interest by this Branch.
containing data on individual. chemical
plants tend in general to be largely supplementary to data from
other sources. Reports such as (Chemical Pleats in 25X1A2g
Co~mnulist China) are helpful in identifying and locating specific
plants and often in pinpointing both the quantity and nature of
production. While these data are not always corroborated by other 25X1A2g
sources, cross-checking the arts against each other provides
useful data. For example, (Status of Chinese Communist 25X1A2g
Fertilizer Plants Under Construction in 1956) provides such data
and is of value.
The enclosure to Which is based on a "Report 25X1A2g
China" in the summer of 1957r is currently being translated from the
Parts of this comprehensive document appear to
contain pertinent data of considerable interest to this office (e.g.,
a chapter on "Soil Fertilizers" and another chapter on specific
factories). Such current clefs on the Chinese fertilizer industry is
of special interest at present because of the rapid developanents in
this area and the significance of fertilizer in the Chinese agri-
cultural econompr.
are probably among the better sources for
obtaining trade data. Usually the many gaps and omissions of vita].
details found in such data make it difficult to get a co~prehensive
picture of the trade area but do supplement information 25X1A2g
from overt sources sad are a significant factor in conceptualizing
the trade picture.
provide perhaps the best Bata on the progress of
production and overall develo~u~ents in new fields such as synthetic
rubber and fibers. tend to report only the successes
of the Chinese Communists in production and technology. Report
(Chinese Communist Need for Development caf Synthetic
Fibers) indicates the degree of development in technology and is
helpful in confirming or refuting information from. other sources.
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