Request by the US delegation to CoCom for Priority Studies on Certain List II Items.

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP75-00662R000100160008-9
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 10, 2000
• Sequence Number: 8
• Publication Date: August 4, 1952
• Content Type: MEMO

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*DOC D class Infsructinns nn Ciln*
..G.f4~~. :('?~upplernent 1)
Tot Technical Task Groups
From:
Robert Reiss, Coordinator
Subject:,
Request by the US Delegation to CoCom for
Priority Studies on Certain List II Items.
The United States Delegation to CoCom,in connection with the
approaching negotiations on List II quotas for the year 1953, has
transmitted a list of those items that have presented special negotia-
ting difficulties in the past.
- Although all Task Groups responsible for List II items present-
ly are engaged in technical and intelligence studies of those items
to put a solid floor of fact under their quota recommendations, it is
neoesssxy to put special emphasis upon the items identified by the US
Delegation as presenting particular problems.
This memorandum, while transmitted for action only to those Task
Groups identified below, is also being sent to all other Task Groups
for their information and to emphasize to all the kind of information
the United States particularly requires to buttress its arguments on he--
half of Task Group recommendations,
The Task Groups to which this memorandum is addressed for action,
and the commodities identified by the U.S. Delegation as requiring
specially intensive studies are:
Inorganic Chemicals Task Group (Mr. Wilder)
Sulfur and sulfuric acid?
Ikon-ferrous Metals and Minerals Task Group (iv, Deitch)
Aluminum
Pyrites (jointly with Inortanic Chemicals Task Group,(Mr. Wilder)
Lead
Iron and Steel Task Group (Mr. Williams)
Ferrochrome
Seamless steel pipe
Railroad rails. (jointly with Transportation Task Group,
(Mr. Jeffrey)
Rubber and Rubber Products Task Group (Mr. Stockvis)
Tires and tubes
Chemical Equipment, (Mr.. Smith), Petroleum Equipment, (Mr.. Thompson)
a n6 Iron and Steei,(Mr.. Williams) Task Groups
Corrosion resistant materials
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Chemical Equipment Task Group (Mr. Smith)
Chemical equipment
Metalworking chiner Task Group. ~Mr. Warner)
Metalworking machinery
Transportation Equipment Task Group (Mr. Jeffrey)
Locomotives
Diesel Engines Task Group (Mr. Hutchinson)
Diesels
Dioscl Erigincs; ~`I4ir.', ~Iatahinson); Tr i~rpax't tiozz ~u mont-,
(I.ir. JeCfrcy) nd.Ulcctr ea Equi.pinonL (.&s Truluck) Task Groups
? 11'a`?ino pro iYT on equipment
Transportation Task Group (Mr. Jeffrey)
Ships
Bearings Task Group (Mr. Miller)
.Bearings
Construction Machinery and Tractors Task Group (Mr.
Exoa vaor s
Electrical Equipment Task Group (Mr. Truluck)
Electrical equipment
Brosky)
The Department of State reports that it has already completed,
studios on sulfur:and sulfuric acid, and lead.
has nearly completed
,
r
he Task Groups concerned should examine those studies to determine if
T
anything further can be added.
The Electrical Equipment Task Group has nearly completed its
study in that field.
Other items are in varying degrees of progress, ranging from very
little to a groat deal*
The Rubber and Rubber Products Task Group reports that it has nearly
completed its tires and tubes study, while the Bearings Task Group -i .,pro-
ceeding with certain aspects of the work that can be done in Waskiington
while awaiting the results of a visit to European bearings plants of a
special team of investigators.
Qtb r :aut~~ ligcs2ZC ` stu11ies , also= un&erotood to bo noa~^ or~ipletiorz' are in
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the fields of metalworking itiaoninery, locomotives, and marine propulsion
equipment.
All Task Groups presently are engaged in technical and intelligence
studies for all List II items in accordance with Task Group General
Assignment GA-1, issued July 15, 1952,. That assignment called for the
development of data in acr,-7Ukiance with the "Outline for Justification
of Security List Items", which was attached to the assignment. The
the quotinformation
assignthat
oly ofbasic
Outline is a guide toeffectivoessentially notkind
assign-
is necessary for the performance
ment but for all Task Group assignments.
In connection with the request for priority intelligence studies
on the items listed above the United States delegation to CoCom transmits the
following views for further guidances
'Experience in CoCom negotiations shows that the Participating
Countries definitely respect and are persuaded by whatever facts we can
present regarding the situation in the Soviet Bloc, as distinguished from
more assertion that a commodity is strategic. When their direct economic
interests are involved, the Participating Countries are especially critical
of conclusions we may attempt to draw from scanty evidence oe from hy-
potheses* "
In other words, the US delegation has found that it cannot conduct
successful negotiations on the basis of Task Group papers that consist
of argument, rather than of evidence?
The US delegation further requests that for practical use in Paris
it is necessary that lengthy papers be prooeded by a concise and convincing
summary of both recommendations and justification that ban be transmitted
to the other nations if necessary..
The US delegation makes the following additional suggestions on
the kinds of data that are especially needed to support a US recommendation and
which are in line with the suggestions given in GA-1:
10 Current typical or average prices in the free
world (preferably European)f or the item and its
major varieties and qualities.
2. Any indication of what the Soviet Bloc has offered
or paid, with particular indication of premium prices
offered by the Bloc,
30 Statistics, or at least estimates, on Bloc production,
If such
d
e.
consumption, requirements, stocks and tra
information is lacking, it is useful to supply similar
data for one or more major industrial countries in the
j West, other than the United States.
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4,? specific examples whenever possible (astrom the
examination of Soviet equipment captured in Korea).
of the strategic use to which the Blanc is putting
the item.: In this connection, it is especially
useful for the US delegation to CoCom to be informed
of what the Bloc is doing or:ean be expected to do
with the amount of imports specified in the CoGom
quotas.
50 Vhiere the Task Group's information shows that the
Bloc has offered or supplied the West with items
on the strategic lists, the US delegation would
appreciate a technical and intelligence evaluation
of the significance of such offers.
Action Requested:
Intensified attention to General Assignment GA-1
by the Task Groups identified above, in respect
to the conunodities identified above, and with par-
ticular attention to the suggestions made by the
US Delegation to CoCom.
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