POLISH IMPORT-EXPORT AGENCY FOR LEATHER/FOREIGN TRADE STATISTICS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00809A000600050239-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 25, 2011
• Sequence Number: 239
• Publication Date: February 8, 1954
• Content Type: REPORT

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/07/27: CIA-RDP80-00809A000600050239-2
SUBJECT Polish Import-Export Agency for Leather/ NO. OF PAGES .3
Foreign Trade Statistics
DATE OF. INFO O ATION
DATE DISTR. jr Feb 54
NO. OF ENCLS.
(LISTED BELOW)
SUPPLEMENT TO
REPORT NO.
THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION
None of the positions in the Import-Export Agency for leather are held
by Soviet Der T Ministers in the various industries were Poles,
but hey held the position in name only and took their
ord Soviet. Directives were handed down to the Minister from
Moscow. The Minister of Light Industry then called the Director for
the leather industry and explained the directive received from Moscow.
Only that portion of the directive concerning the leather industry would
be made known to our director. Upon his return from Warsaw, the director
would hold a conference with the Planning Division Chief, and, without
mentioning the directive, advise him that import and export plans had
been altered.
2. enterprise had no permanent representatives abroad. The Foreign
Tra a Organization had commercial attaches in various foreign countries
who represented the enterprise in many instances. Occasionally the chief
of the division would be sent abroad to represent the enterprise. A
standing order received from the Ministry stated that it would be
advisable to }
uciu a i=cYt`Ci)CL1LStlve whenever large amounts of goods or
money were involved.
3. The enterprise imported approximately 2,000 tons tanning material yearly
from South Africa
South A
e
i
,
m
r
ca, Turkey, Italy and France. No tanning
material was exported. Approximately 100,000 raw hides were Imported
from Brazil and Argentina. Of these, 40,000 hides were exported to
Satellite countries. Approximately 100,000 =romArgentina ne were exported
to Finland and Holland, None were importedestimate production
of hides in Poland at 100,000 skins; importin 1951/52
and i
at: cF_nnn skins
- - - - - - ---
~'--- -_`_,?
mports
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it
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CLASSIFICATION SECRET
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
INFORMATION REPORT
CLASSIFICAnON SECRET
Import and export prices were based on US and UK prices quoted and
published monthly in the "Leather Trade Review." In addition, coisoereial
attaches would send current monthly price lists to the various countries.
Our prices varied approximately five cents either way. A basic policy ?
of the export division was not to overcharge for fear the "Skorimpex"
would be black-listed when export prices were listed in foreign trade
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9.
10.
re
into th
e
export trade of calf skins to the US Primarily
for US currency. Import and export trade with all countries except the
Soviet Union was based on the US dollar which was in greater demand
than the English pound. The import division was instructed by the
Ministry in April or May of 1953 that in the future efforts should be
made to pay with coal rather than US dollars for imported goods.
11. Leather for shoes and at times leather gloves were primarily exported to
the USSR. The leather and the leather goods were sold at current market
prices, but payment for them was in rubles,
is die advantageous to Poland from a financial pointy fvie rv with the the
ruble will purchase needed goods in Satellite point
ountrie ew because the hold to a m1 whenhanUorderareceived fromnthee USSR nevertheless, was rejecyr no; ZUl art
no instance
12. Poland's import plan was always fulfilled. In 1952 the plan fwaseful-.
filled 110%. On the other hand only 45% of the export plan was fulfilled.
Failure to fulfill the export plan was due to the high prices placed on
the various commodities.
SBCRRT
7. Raw hides were imported from Buenos Aires, Rio de Janeiro, and Mombasa,
Kenya. Special raw hides were imported f
rom Norther
until last
It
ns. It i - --??o .,,,,
ascertain the accurate H st
pure of leather imports
An order to import 100
w raw n1
told o es would be
n onday; Wednesda
by $50,000, OnFrida told to decrease the order
tem oraril ' receive notice to cancel the order
y? These Procedures went on continuously. Another factor
which r uantiity of leathe
whic iegulat th the US quantity
n
currency, was the amount of US
y in the he treasury r imports Each and every transaction, import and export,
was pad for w:
y No
n the wa
loss diff
r
.erentials are paid to Polish enterprise
on export commodities because they are ;tat? owned and operater7
r
it
was rli
eazed. The negative price
difference pcc)
1.5e per Roznica Wyrownaweza) (difference between home price
and $ scale was used. A pair of leather gloves exported at
exPort pri purc,zased on
r air could be
a maai
( pproxi the Polish market for 130 zlotys
y$32.50). Articles marked for export sale were stored
in warehouses because the people in Poland could not affordto'pay the
price. Rather than lower the price, the goods were left i
it 11
to rot awa
,
p
ys
($200 tsame same *225), On export articles r pair sold
sold within for Poland800 to
approximately the s p
of
5. A profit of from 1000 to 25sold within Poland. 2500 per cent was realized on leather imports
Shoes imported `at $7
00
900 zlot
e
SECRET
-2-
n
aly
ear., '95]. Import relations with Italy were broken off early
this year 953/ beta Italy wanted to sell Lombardy raw hides without
inspection, wanted one o
in order to out a hides but Italitnvau to go to Italy
refused to issue a visa stating the
y wan
t
ed
b
no Co
mmunists entering th
The problem of domestic supply o- +
Ministry of hides was the responsibility of
Y Home Trade or the Ministr
the
y
o
f
Li ht
domesti
;
c Supply of hides averages between 150,
000rand cv' o pII0
s ns. All types of hid
es in Poland
are classified as standard.
Domestic hides are used in the manufa,ture of u`-_s and other
goods for home use and only a small percentage for export. leather
The Ministry of Foreign Trade has an organization similar to that of
the leather industry. Planned procurement for military and Stockpiles
comes under the Jurisdiction of the military authorities, At no time
were accurate figures for mi.li taro , _
-- r--r -0 mace known to other agencies.
Poland ente
d
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13. Frocurement of leather from the West wa: held to aminimum. Only raw
hides were imported so that the Poles would have employment.
procurement was on a cash basis-_no exclange y w
A11..
14,
The only shortage of leather encountered ;'as+that for shoe repair.
its place a low grade of rubber was substituted.
In
This rubber sole would
disintegrate after two or three weeks of constant wear.
resoling shoes was approximately $40000 per Cost for
P pair.
15. Leather supply was plentiful if US currency was plentiful. All
shi Ping arrangements were handled b the transportation -division. T__7
~v+a iuaUe its plans on a ~aiicve zne
certain bottlenecks, On occasions em t yearly basis, there were
other times the ex ort d o ships had to stand by, while at
and Szcze i P goods remained on the
C n were the two main ports used. OCics for days. Gdynia
-- I~COessary and useful, lin non-
import goods for the lowest agency was directed to
highest price Price Possible a port goods at the
were not possible. When dealing with,non-Communi's't countri
or one over the other, As an inspiration to all,
eventually all non-Communist countries will fall and all
r possessions will be ours,
17. Soviet exploitation of
and what loms is Polish companies is takin many
1
strategic items is known bto the ministers what extent
strand. It mmst are sent e USSR eve
Poland the Imus Cbetanderstood`that import and export ofycommmodittiesin -in consumer, has no boundaries. There is but one
18. Figures and percentages on Polish Foreign
newspapers are a matter of convenience. All Trade trade publishedprod in Polish
percentages are classified top secret. - Is and then,?etio.
n
figures in the newspapers are entirely incorrectPar Our then that those
constantly warned us not to discuss import or export Oufigures ectWithad
friends or relatives at home. This being another indication that
percentages published in the Polish newspapers are false.
19. In June 1953 a contract was
Il ten' 4_ : negotiat butw
- to uFnport approximately 100,000vgnatcsk ?ia
and China. Poland
All credit _
on
lea by the Ministry,
state what - a17' yr how
unte? and to
a
COtt, steam be otdv manuractured in Poznan wool
were exported ot
t',A,Y 816
end- T81.01
55 4
7/729.6 5
SUM
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