SHIPPINT TO CAMBODIA IN THE FIRST HALF OF 1966

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP78T02095R000800070089-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 18
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Document Release Date: April 15, 2008
• Sequence Number: 89
• Publication Date: October 1, 1966
• Content Type: IM

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ea~~
~rATES OF%
SHIPPING TO CAMBODIA
IN THE FIRST HALF OF 1966
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D R TORAT OF` IN'" L ,IG 1 TC
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FOREWORD
The data in this memorandum are preliminary and subject to
modification as additional information becomes available. Significant
changes may occur in data on ship arrivals and cargoes from Com-
munist China and, to a lesser extent, in data on cargoes carried by
ships of the Free World. All data on cargoes carried are expressed
in metric tons; because of rounding, components may not add to the
totals shown. Data on Soviet and Eastern European ship arrivals and
cargoes and on Free World ship arrivals are not likely to be changed
significantly. As required, changes will be reported in subsequent
memoranda. For the purposes of this memorandum, Yugoslavia is
considered to be a country of the Free World.
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CONTENTS
Page
Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
I. Shipping to Sihanoukville . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
A. Volume of Cargoes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
B. Communist Shipping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
C. Free World Shipping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
D. Origin of Cargoes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
E. Commodities Imported . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
F.. Military and Military-Related Cargoes . . . . . . 8
G. Unidentified Cargoes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
II. Shipping to Phnom Penh . . . . . . . . . . . .
1. Cambodia: International Traffic .Through the Ports
of Sihanoukville and Phnom Penh, First Half of
1965 and First Half of 1966 . . . . . . . . . . .
2. Cambodia: Ship Arrivals and Cargo Discharged
at Sihanoukville and Phnom Penh, by Flag,
First ? Half of 1966 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
3. Cambodia: Cargo Discharged at Sihanoukville
and Phnom Penh,.by Country of Loading, First
Half of 1966 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Figure 1. Cambodia: Ports and Connecting Sea Routes
[with Accompanying Cambodian Port Data]
(map) following page . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Figure 2. Cambodia: Port of Sihanoukville (photograph)
following page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
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SHIPPING TO CAMBODIA
IN THE FIRST HALF OF 1966*
Summary
In the first half of 1966, Cambodia imported 330, 000 tons
of seaborne cargo, 25 percent more than in the comparable
period of 1965. Seaborne exports, on the other hand, de-
clined by one-half -- to 227, 000 tons -- probably because of
a sharp reduction in exports of rice. Imports at Sihanouk-
ville exceeded those at Phnom Penh, although only slightly,
for the first time since the port of Sihanoukville was opened
in 1960. The pattern of Cambodian imports in the first half
of 1966 was similar to that in the first half of 1965, except
for an increase in cement of about 50 percent.
Seaborne imports originating in Communist countries --
principally Communist China, North Vietnam, and the USSR --
increased in the first half of 1966 and accounted for about
72 percent of the total volume of imports at Sihanoukville.
One large shipment of military equipment, probably destined
exclusively for Cambodian armed forces, was discharged
from the Chinese Communist freighter Lao Dong at Sihanouk-
ville in March 1966. This was probably the initial installment
under an aid agreement signed by Cambodia and Communist
China in November 1965. Other small shipments of some
military significance arrived at Sihanoukville from Commu-
nist as well as Free World countries. Additional military
cargoes may have been included among the 58, 000 tons of
unidentified cargoes imported through Sihanoukville in the
first half of 1966. No military cargoes or cargoes loaded at
Communist ports were detected at Phnom Penh during this
period.
This memorandum was produced solely by CIA. It was pre-
pared by the Office of Research and Reports; the estimates
and conclusions represent the best judgment of the Directorate
of Intelligence as of 26 September 1966.
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Most of the cargoes to and from Cambodia were carried
by Free World ships, which made 113 of the 134 calls at
Sihanoukvi~le and all of the 171 calls at Phnom Penh.
Communist-flag ships increased their, calls at Sihanoukville
from 13 in the first half of 1965 to '21 in the first half of 1966.
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I. Shipping to Sihanoukville (see Figures 1 and 2)
A. Volume of Cargoes
For the first time since the port of Sihanoukville was opened
in April 1960, a greater volume of seaborne cargoes was discharged
there than at Phnom Penh, which historically has been the only major
seaport in Cambodia (see Table 1). A total of 167, 000 tons of cargo
arrived at Sihanoukville during the first half of 1966, or 39 percent
more than in the first half of 1965, despite a decrease in the number
of calls from 150 to 134. Fewer ships arrived in ballast, however,
than in the comparable period of 1965 because of a sharp drop
about 55 percent -- in the volume of exports. The volume of exports
in the first half of 1966 was less than the volume of imports, compared
with 1965 when the volume of exports was nearly double the volume
of imports.
B. Communist Shipping
Calls by Communist-flag ships increased from 13 (8 percent
of total shipping) in the first half of 1965 to 21 (16 percent of total
shipping) in the first half of 1966. Ships belonging to the Polish Ocean
Lines, which inaugurated a regular liner service to Cambodia in
February 1966, made 11 calls at Sihanoukville. Six calls were made
by Chinese Communist ships and four by Soviet ships.
C. Free World Shipping
Free World ships, which made 113 calls, continued to provide
most of the shipping to Sihanoukville. Thirty-one of the calls were by
Free World ships under charter to Communist countries. Greek,
British, and Norwegian tramps under time charter to Communist China
made 26 voyages between Communist China and Cambodia. There were
four calls by Greek, British, and Danish tramps under charter to
North Vietnam, and one call by a Greek ship under charter to the USSR. Large cargo liners, predominaft!ly French and Yugoslav, made 45 calls
at Sihanoukville, usually to deliver general cargo from Western Europe.
The remaining merchant ships calling at Sihanoukville were tramps and
small liners transporting cargoes to and from Japan and other countries
bordering the South China Sea. A. detailed breakdown of ship arrivals
and cargo deliveries at Sihanoukville during the first half of 1966, by
flag, is shown in Table 2.
* Early in 1966, at least one British shipowner prohibited his ships
from engaging in trade with Cambodia, North Vietnam, and Indonesia,
This is the first-known ban on Cambodian trade by a British shipowner.
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Cambodia: International Traffic Through the Ports
of Sihanoukville and Phnom Penh
First Half of 1965 and First Half of 1966
Ship Arrivals aY Cargo Discharged Cargo Loaded Total Cargo Volume
First Half First Half First Half First Half First Half First Half First Half First Half
Port 1965 1966 1965 1966 1965 1966 1965 1966
Sihanoukville 150 134 120 167 J 292 134 412 301
Phnom Penh 222 171 143 163 c/ 153 93 296 256
Total 372 305 263 330 445 227 708 557 cn
a. Including only arrivals of seagoing ships from foreign ports.
b. Excluding Chinese Communist military equipment of unknown volume delivered by the Lao Dong in March 1966.
c. Including cargo in transit for Laos, and POL deliveries to Kompong Chan and Tonle Bet.
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Cambodia: Ship Arrivals and Cargo Discharged
at Sihanoukville and Phnom Penh, by Flag
First Half of 1966
Ship Arrivals =/
Cargo Discharged (Metric Tons)'
Flag
Sihanoukville
Phnom Penh
Total Sihanoukville
Phnom Penh
Total
Communist countries
21
0
21
30,416
0
30,416
USSR
4
4
14,884
14,884
Poland
11
11
2,723
2,723
Communist China
6
6
12,809 b/
12,809.W
113
171
284
136,100
163,387
299,487
Cambodia
2
24
26
1,578
10,471,
12,049
Cyprus
1
1
5,801
5,801
Denmark
1
1
France
32
49
81,
24,341
76,758
101,099
Greece
20
20
65,668
65,668
Italy
1
1
Japan
9
26
35
1,336
36,179
37,515
Netherlands
6
3
9
3,146
3,604
6,750
Norway
8
8
13,1467
13,467
Panama
14
52
66
2,206
32,274
34,480
Switzerland
1
1
2
400
1,585
1,985
United Kingdom
8
16
24
9,240
2,516
11,756
Yugoslavia
10
10
8,917
8,917
134
171
305
166,516
16323871/
329,903
a. Including only arrivals of seagoing ships from foreign ports.
b. Excluding Chinese Communist military equipment of unknown volume delivered by the
Lao Dong in March 1966.
c. Including cargo in transit for Laos, and POL deliveries to Kbmpong Cham and Tonle Bet.
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D. Origin of Cargoes
More than 120, 000 tons of cargo imported at Sihanoukville,
or about 72 percent of the total, was loaded at Communist ports. Lead-
ing suppliers were Communist China (65, 000 tons), North Vietnam
(35, 000 tons), and the USSR (19, 000 tons). The monthly volume of cargo
from these countries in the first half of 1966 was 68 percent above the
average for 1965. In addition to the cargoes loaded at Communist ports,
at least 1, 200 tons of general cargo of Soviet origin were shipped to
Sihanoukville via Singapore or Western Europe, and 130 Czechoslovak
trucks were booked for shipment to Sihanoukville on Yugoslavy carriers.
The countries of loading for the cargoes discharged at Sihanoukville
during the first half of 1966 are shown in Table 3.
E. Commodities Imported
Only two-thirds of the cargo discharged at Sihanoukville during
the first six months of 1966 could be identified as to type. The only
notable departure from the pattern of identified imports for 1965 was
an increase of about 50 percent in cement imports and a sharp reduction
in rubber imports from 11, 000 to 3, 000 tons. Imports during the first
half of 1966 were as follows:
Thousand Tons
Cement 61
Coal 16
Metal products 6
Foodstuffs 5
Chemicals and explosives 5
Rubber (for transshipment) 3
Roasted pyrites 3
Asphalt 2
Other general and miscellaneous dry cargo 7
Unidentified cargo 58
Total 167
The only shipments made by Soviet-flag carriers to Cambodia
in the first half of 1966 consisted of 15, 000 tons of cement from
Haiphong, North Vietnam. Communist countries, principally North
Vietnam, provided Sihanoukville with 95 percent of its cement imports.
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Table 3
Cambodia: Cargo Discharged at Siharioukville and Phnom Penh
by Country of Loading
First Half of 1966
Metric Tons
Port of Dischar&e
Country of Loading
Sihanoukville
Phnom Penh
Total
Communist countries
1202397
120,397
USSR
19,315
19,315
Poland
589
589
North Vietnam
35,376
35,376
Communist China
65,117
65,117 b/
Free World
42,484
163,387 c/
205,871
Belgium
515
515
France
5,307
5,307
French Somaliland
380
380
Hong Kong
1,063
13,977
15,040
Indonesia
3,746
22,467
26,213
India
2,422
2,422
Italy
134
134
Japan
1,158
34,114
35,272
Malaysia
255
255
Netherlands
926
926
Pakistan
2,759
2,759
Philippines
80
80
Singapore
5,756
4,163
9,919
South Vietnam
1,022
83,485
84,507
Thailand
905
905
West Germany
1,342
1,342
United Kingdom
408
4o8
Yugoslavia
5,371
5,371
Unidentified European
14,116
14,116
Unidentified 3,635 3,635
Total 16.6,516 7.63337 c/ -3221903
a. In some cases the country of loading is the same as the countryyof
origin. However, in many cases it is the country at which the cargo
was offloaded for transshipment. In such cases the country of origin
is often unknown.
b. Excluding Chinese Communist military equipment of unknown volume
delivered by the Lao Dong in March 1966.
c. Including cargo in transit for Laos, and POL deliveries to Kompong
Cham and Tonle Bet.
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All of the coal and pyrites and most of the chemicals delivered
to Sihanoukville came from Communist China and were carried by four
Greek tramps chartered to Sinofracht, the Chinese chartering agency.
The six Chinese Communist ships visiting Sihanoukville brought in
mostly construction materials, consumer goods, and chemicals, in
addition to the military cargo discussed below.
During the first four months of 1966, about 3, 000 tons of rubber
were taken to Sihanoukville from Indonesia by small Dutch freighters for
shipment onward to Singapore. Because the Indonesian government had
forbidden shipment of Indonesian rubber to Singapore, the rubber apparently
was taken to Cambodia. to be documented as Cambodian rubber before de-
livery to Singapore. The cessation of rubber shipments to Cambodia by
early May, however, suggests that the improvement in relations between
Indonesia and Singapore which occurred at that time has eliminated the
need for routing via Cambodia.
F. Military and Military-Related Cargoes
One large delivery of military equipment arrived in Carnbodia
during the first half of 1966. The Lao Dong, a Chinese Communist ship,
visited Sihanoukville from 3 March to 8 March under a shroud of secrecy
and strict security conditions to discharge. 12 122-mm howitzers,
24 twin 14. 5 -mm antiaircraft machine guns, 2, 500 antipersonnel and
antitank mines, and at least 100 cases of small arms and ammunition.
This was probably the initial delivery of Chinese Communist
military aid to Cambodia under the terms of an aid agreement announced
in November 1965. About 75 Cambodian army trucks were required to
transport the cargo inland to Long Vek. There is no evidence that any
of this military equipment subsequently was transshipped to the Viet
Cong. It probably was destined for exclusive use of the Cambodian armed
forces.
Two other of the six Chinese Communist ships discharged
small amounts of small arms and ammunitions. Two French liners
delivered small arms and ammunitions from France, probably totaling
less than a ton.
Four French liners carried more than 30 tons of explosives
and detonators to Sihanoukville from Europe, and one Greek ship under
Chinese Communist charter brought 25 tons of explosives from China.
These explosives can be used in industry as well as for military purposes.
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At least ten additional Free World ships under Chinese Communist
charters declared dangerous cargoes* on board when departing Hong
Kong en route to Sihanoukville.
Some chemicals suitable for military use probably passed
through Sihanoukville, although little has been positively identified.
A French liner brought 324 kilograms of potassium nitrate and 290 kilo-
grams of aluminum powder from France in April. In May a Japanese-
flag ship possibly delivered up to 10 tons of potassium chlorate from
Japan, and in June a shipment of ammonium nitrate and sodium nitrate
from Poland may have been delivered on a Polish liner. An undetermined
amount of MK-8 oil arrived at Sihanoukville from the Soviet Union in
February, marking the first shipment by the USSR of this special oil --
a lubricant used for turbojet aircraft, such as the MIG-17. Cambodia
has owned five MIG-17's since 1964, and expects to receive at least that
many more in 1966 as part of an aid agreement with the USSR.
An estimated 35 tons of Chinese Communist medicine were
identified in five separate shipments to Sihanoukville in the first half of
1966. At least 12 tons of medical supplies from Western Europe also
were imported. An exceptionally large supply of penicillin, about
600, 000 vials, was. received by Cambodia from the USSR in March.
This shipment was considerably larger than an earlier Soviet shipment
in December 1965.
Unidentified Cargoes
The unidentified cargoes were distributed widely among ships
of all flags, except for Soviet shipments which were all identified.
About 25 percent of the cargoes carried on Communist ships and
37 percent of those on Free World ships were unidentified. Most of
the 58, 000 tons of unidentified cargoes were loaded in Communist
China (26, 000 tons), Western Europe (13, 000 tons), the entrepot ports
of Singapore and Hong Kong (6, 000 tons), Yugoslavia (5, 000 tons), and
North Vietnam (4, 000 tons).
II. Shipping to Phnom Penh
The restrictive measures imposed since late 1964 by South Vietnam
on Mekong River shipping to Cambodia, coupled with the development
of the port of Sihanoukville, have continued to diminish the importance
* Explosives, inflammable chemicals, or other cargoes that could
inflict damage on the ship or its personnel.
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of Phnom Penh as a port for international trade. The share of Cam-
bodian imports passing through Phnom Penh decreased from 79 percent .
in 1963 to less than 50 percent in the first half of 1966.. Total cargo
handled at Phnom Penh has been declining continuously from over a mil-
lion tons in 1963, to 592, 000 tons in 196.5, to only 256, 000 tons for the
first half of 1966. No cargoes of military significance are believed to-
have arrived at Phnom. Penh.
During the first six months of 1966, Phnom Penh hosted 171. ships,
63 of which were French, Panamanian, and Cambodian tankers delivering
POL. Of the 108 dry cargo ships calling at Phnom Penh, over 40 percent
sailed under Panamanian flags. Japanese and British ships accounted for
another 40 percent of the total dry cargo arrivals. For a detailed break-
down of ship arrivals and cargo deliveries during the first half of 1966,
by flag, see Table 2.
Although total cargo handled at Phnom Penh decreased in the first
half of 1966 from the level of the comparable period of 1965, imports
increased 14 percent. This increase was shared by both-POL a.-.-id dry
cargo. POL continued to account for at least two-thirds of the import
tonnage on the Mekong. French and Cambodian tankers operating shuttle
deliveries from Shell Company storage at Saigon brought 83, 000 tons of
POL to Cambodia, and a single Panamanian tanker shuttled 22, 000, tons
of POL from the Esso storage facility on the Indonesian island of
Bintan. Some of the tankers sailing up the Mekong River apparently
discharged their POL cargoes at Kompong Cham, 70 miles northeast
of Phnom Penh. In addition to the bulk POL shipments, about 3, 000 tons
of drummed POL were discharged at Phnom Penh.
The principal cargoes received at Phnom Penh were as follows:
Thousand Tons
POL
108
Metal. products
15
Foodstuffs
8
Asphalt
.. 7
Jute
5
Chemicals
t+
Other identified cargoes
11+.
Unidentified cargo
1
Total 163
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Japanese-flag ships carried 36, 000 tons (65 percent) of the
55, 000 tons of dry cargoes discharged at Phnom Penh in the first half
of 1966. These cargoes consisted mostly of metals, chemicals, asphalt,
and machinery from Japan. ,Each of the three Dutch ships arriving in
Phnom Penh brought jute either from India or Pakistan, and the single
Swiss ship unloaded jute from Pakistan.
Most of the remaining dry cargoes consisted of general cargo loaded
at Singapore and Hong Kong and carried to Phnom Penh on small Pana-
manian, French, British, and Cambodian liners. Although some cargoes
loaded at Hong Kong or Singapore may have originated in Communist
countries, none of the cargoes discharged at Phnom Penh was loaded at
Communist ports.
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