CURRENT STATUS OF US GRAIN SALES TO CHINA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80B01495R000600150026-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 19, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 23, 2005
• Sequence Number: 26
• Publication Date: November 1, 1972
• Content Type: MF

CIA INTERNAL USE ONLY,
Approved For Release 2006/Ol77'3141-RDP80BQ1495R000600150026-5
MEMORANDUM FOR: Deputy Director for Intelligence
1. On 31 October, UPI carried a story discussing a "third"
sale of 26,400 tons of grain to China. There have indeed been
three sales of US grain to the PRC: the first for 408,000 tons
of wheat in early September, a second for 150,000 tons of wheat
in late September, and a third for 300,000 tons of corn in
October. All three sales have been handled by the French firm
of Louis Dreyfus; however, only the first and third sales have
been public knowledge. Until quite recently, Dreyfus refused
to reveal whether or not the wheat under the second contract
would be of US origin. Public knowledge of this second sale
at this time is due to the fact that some observers have noted
that total wheat loadings at US Gulf and Eastern ports have
now exceeded the total amount stipulated in the first contract
and have correctly concluded that this is a hitherto unknown
contract.
2. The current status of PRC grain imports is shown below:
PRC Grain Import Contracts
(Thousand Metric Tons)
Exporting Country 1972 1973
Canada
US
Australia
WARNING NOTICE
SENSITIVE INVTELLIG#"rf
AND METHODS INVOLVED
3,950 750
858
0 1,000
4,808
1,750
Director
Economic Research
Copy 1
Release 20 0 k CIA-RD P80 BO 1495R000600150026-5
Ic
CIA IT rmv
 Approved For Release 2006/01/17 : CIA-RDP80B01495R000600150026-5
Cys 1 & 2 - Addressee
3 - OD/OER
4 - St/CS
5 - D/C
6 & 7 - C/RE
OER/C/RE,
(1 Nov 72)
Approved For Release 2006/01/17 : CIA-RDP80B01495R000600150026-5
 25X1 Approved For Release 2006/01/17 : CIA-RDP80BO1495R000600150026-5
Approved For Release 2006/01/17 : CIA-RDP80BO1495R000600150026-5