INFORMATION ON GDR FOREIGN TRADE DURING THE FIRST HALF OF 1951

Document Type: 
Collection: 
Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 
CIA-RDP80-00809A000700010327-6
Release Decision: 
RIPPUB
Original Classification: 
C
Document Page Count: 
5
Document Creation Date: 
December 22, 2016
Document Release Date: 
September 20, 2011
Sequence Number: 
327
Case Number: 
Publication Date: 
September 24, 1951
Content Type: 
REPORT
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PDF icon CIA-RDP80-00809A000700010327-6.pdf290.13 KB
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Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/09/21: CIA-RDP80-00809A000700010327-6 1 S_. _.. 3 CLASSIFICATION CONFIDENTIAL ParNTIf CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY REPOR INFORMATION FROM FOREIGN DOCUMENTS OR RADIO BROADCASTS CD NO. COUNTRY German Democratic Republic SUBJECT Economic - Foreign trade HOW PUBLISHED Daily, semiweekly newspapers WHERE PUBLISHED GDR; Switzerland DATE PUBLISHED 3 Jan - 13 Jun 1951 LANGUAGE German THIS DOCUMENT CONTAINS INFORMATION AFF[CTI NO THE NATIONAL DEFENSE OF TN[ UNITED STATES WITHIN THE YIANING OF SS FIO MAD[ ACT t0 "AUTH U. 3 C.. 31 AND Si, AS AMENDED. ITS TRANSMISSION ON TN[ RSD EILATION NI\ITIO \T TL WS IN REPRODUCTION Of THIS FORM 111 FAONI ITED. II PRO. DATE OF INFORMATION 1951 DATE DISTOCq Sep 1951 NO. OF PAGES 5 SUPPLEMENT TO REPORT NO. THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION INFORMATION ON GDR FOREIGN TRADE DURING THE FIRST HALF OF 1951 [Numbers in parentheses refer to appended source s-7 From 1 February to 21 March 1951, 21,615 tons of wheat and barley arrived from the USSR in the Reichsbahn district of Magdeburg. On 26 and 27 March, 35 carloads of beef and pork were received from the USSR in Frankfurt/Oder. The meat was transshipped to Leipzig and Cottbus.(l) In March 1951 a total of 11,301 tons of Soviet grain for the German Demo- cratic Republic was unloaded in the port of Wismar. The grain had been brought from .,aliningrad by the Soviet freighters Paer'in ,probably Pyarnu, Yura, Olonets, and Voloche.yevsk.(2) On 4 April, 83 carloads of beef and pork arrived in Frankfurt/Oder from the USSR. A large part of the meat was transshipped to Berlin and to Land Mecklen- burg.(3) 8 June On 4, 5, and 6 June, 62 carloads of beef and port arrived in Sachsen from the USSR. The meat was transshipped to Dresden, Zwickau, and Chemnitz.(4) On 5 June, 58 carloads of pork and beef arrived in Frankfurt/Oder from the Soviet Union. The Consumers' Import Clearing Office immediately expedited the meat to Halle, Erfurt, and Zwickau.(4) - 1 - p CONFIDENTIAL CO F JP1ERT M. 50X1-HUM I Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/09/21: CIA-RDP80-00809A000700010327-6 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/09/21: CIA-RDP80-00809A000700010327-6 CONFIDENTIAL Since the end of February, 28 Soviet ships have unloaded a total of 60,000 tons of wheat, oats, and barley in Rostock harbor. Of the above ships, nine freighters unloaded 16,500 tons of grain during May alone.(5) Machine, Tool, and Equipment Exports 31 January The people-owned Scharfenstein Plant is to produce, mainly for export, two newly developed refrigeration units. These are a household refrigerator with an improved condensation coil and a considerably larger cooling area than other models now available, and an ice cream freezer with two connected drums, which produces up to 40 kilograms of ice cream per hour. (6) 3 February The people-owned Precision Instruments Plant in Freiberg exports miners' compasses to Bulgaria, mirror compasses to Czechoslovakia, and suspension the- odolites for mine surveying to Sweden. China is interested in spirit-level clinometers and theodolites. Drum-type ship's sextants are being produced for use in the German Democratic Repuolic. The plant, which converted to the use of light metals in the manufacture of instruments, exports about 5.7 percent of its total output.(7) 17 February The people-owned Nagema Plant in Goerlitz-Weinhuebel is turning out air- conditioning units for Bulgarian spinning and weaving mills now under construc- tion. The Nagema plant also exports air-conditioning units to Poland.(8) 21 February The Plamag Factory In Plauen has completed a second 96-page high-speed rotary press for Poland. The first such machine was delivered in 1950. The press has six 16-page printing units and four folding units. A new- type color-printing device is employed; the color is regulated from the out- side. The rotary press turns out 320,000 six-page newspapers per hour. In- stallation in Warsaw is to be completed by 1 May.(9) 25 March Ten Universal milling machines, the first installment of an extensive ex- port order, have been shipped to the USSR by the people-owned Wanderer Milling- Machine Works in Chemnitz.(10) 28 March At the 1951 Leipzig Spring Fair the people-owned Wanderer Milling-Machine Works (Chemnitz) booked double the amount of export orders received at last year's fair. Eighty percent of the orders were for shipments to the USSR and the people's democracies, the balance for exports to Sweden and the Netherlands.(l) Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/09/21: CIA-RDP80-00809A000700010327-6 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/09/21: CIA-RDP80-00809A000700010327-6 f'~I rR71! P~ngTI I Sizeable export orders for a newly developed high-grade clinical thermom- eter have been received by the Glassware and Ceramics Division of the DANA (Ger- man Foreign Trade Agency).(11) 3 February The internationally established Blue Hand brand slate pencils from the Steinach quarries in Thueringen are again greatly in demand for export. During the war Portugal had captured most of the market outlets. Large sums were invested recently in improvements at the Steinach quarries, and the output has been increased. Apparently slate products are of significance for the expansion of the East German export program.(7) 24 February The Emil Otto Company in Magdeburg has received orders for chemical products from Sweden and Czechoslovakia. The plant produces high-grade soldering, welding, tinning, and blanching agents in quantities sufficient for domestic requirements and export, notably to Bulgaria and Czechoslovakia. Other products manufactured for export include flux, packings, bronzing, calibration assemblies for measuring instruments, and tinning agents. These are shipped to Switzerland, Belgium, Sweden, and Finland.(12) 3 0 March Under existing trade agreements, East Germany imported 108,000 pairs of leather shoes from Czechoslovakia and 10,000 from Hungary. The shoes were sold to workers in Land Mecklenburg.(13) 8 June Twelve carloads of uncombed wool from the People's Republic of China have arrived in Leipzig for further processing. This makes a total of 200 tons of uncombed wool and 35 tons of camel hair received from China within the past few days. Other shipments of animal hair and raw silk have also been r_ceived. (14) During the last third of May, 20 additional carloads of raw cotton were received from the USSR by the Leipzig Baumwollspinnerei (Spinning Mille). This brings the total cotton received from the USSR in May to 60 carloads.(15) Trade Agreements With Sweden and Czechoslovakia Under a trade agreement which expires 30 June 1951, the German Democratic Republic is to supply Sweden with mining and chemical products, stockings and socks, rayon-wool materials, zippers, insulating tape for industrial use, cellu- lose textiles, laces, carpets, upholstering material, cotton towels, iron and 16111 Fi E N 1IAL Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/09/21: CIA-RDP80-00809A000700010327-6 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/09/21: CIA-RDP80-00809A000700010327-6 COIWIDENTIAL metal goods. nu,':.ing rifles, needles for textile n~achiDes, macarts tools, instruments p roce tri^.l and textile machines as well as surgicalaccessories and spare ' ssing, , and industrial use, paper and apparatus for scientific, machines with accessories and spare parts, sanitary and lnding niters, long-carriage machines, standard typewriters, printing equipment, portable typewriters, bookkeeping machines, cameras and projectors, machines, chemical porcelain, musculating and billing electrical supplies, hotochemicals, instrume musical lenses, glsaSs n for`etorageebattery casings, i.solaters, p optical lenses, glass picture and dolor film, medical and other photographic plates and paper, earthenware, pottery, laboratory and other thermometers, household porcelain, field gfaedi, s Jena glass for industrial and technical purposes, household glass, Jena feeding bottles, toys, Christmas tree decorations, cars and accessories, hides, athletic supports, etc. ? Prices will be quoted in Swedish kronor. Shipments will be f.o.b. Sri DAHAW(German Foreign Trade .4gency)? All contacts must clear chroug the DAEA ore, accounts via the Deutsche by letters of credit will be made to Notenbank in Berlin and the Skandinaviska Banker in Stockholm-(16 28 February. A barter agreement involving goods worth 72 mill(GermanfForeigncTradedA~ncY)? the A/B SUKAB, Stockholm? and DAEA in Berlin between until 30 June 1951 The agreement will be in effect ?(17) 4 A the Under a barter agreement, the German Democratic Republic is to Supply Association of Swedish Coal Importers with 150, 000 tons of brown coal briquettes, s, p at 6.75 billion kronor. Provisions have been made to shipments to total up to 300,000 tons.(18) 8_ Juse 1 by Georg Handke, A German-Czech trade agreement was signed on 4 June 1.95 a n Trade, and Antonin Gregor, Gxegonge of Fast German Minister of Inter-German an~ ForUnder the agr Foreign Trade Minister for ma chothan slovakia. . Und goods will be increased by octant raw materials, mainly ashipiimpl tartilizer , and capital goods. ^t German Democratic Repdbltr es, rtip ci p . ( al for the e chemical and industrial and metail0.irgi zer ducts Czechoslovakia will supP Y SOURCES 1. Berlin, Taegliche Rundschau, 28 Mar 51 2. Ibid., 3 Apr 51 3. Ibid., 7 Apr 51 Ibid., 8 Jun 51 5. Ibid., 13 Jun 51 1 Jan 51 6. Berlin, Nachrichten fuel Auasenhandel, 3 7. Ibid., 3 Feb 51 8. Ibid., 17 Feb 51 9. Ibid., 21 Feb 51 Nuzr 51 10. Taegliche Rundschau, 25 Jan 51 11. Nachrichtefefuer Aussenhandel, 3 12. ibid., 2 51 CONF _ IDE- N T' Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/09/21: CIA-RDP80-00809A000700010327-6 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/09/21: CIA-RDP80-00809A000700010327-6 1 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. Taegliche Rundschau, 30 Mar 51 Schwerin, Landes-Zeitung, 8 Jun 51 Berlin, Nacht-Express, 11 Jun 51 Nachrichten fuer Aussenhandel, 7 Feb 51 Ibid., 28 Feb 51 Zurich, Neue Zuercher Zeitung, 3 Apru5151 Potsdam, Maerkische Volksstimme, Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/09/21: CIA-RDP80-00809A000700010327-6