THE BULGARIAN TEXTILE INDUSTRY

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82-00047R000100260007-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 23, 2016
• Document Release Date: April 17, 2013
• Sequence Number: 7
• Publication Date: March 3, 1952
• Content Type: REPORT

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Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr2013/04/17 : CIA-RDP82-00047R000100260007-4
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCSECRE1
INFORMATION REPORT
COUNTRY Bulgaria
SUBJECT The Bulgarian Textile Industry
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PLACE
ACQUIRED
DATE
ACQU I RED
DATE OF INFORMATION
THIS DOCUMENT CONTAINS INFORMATION AFFECTING THE NATIONAL DEFENSE
OF THE UNITED STATES, WITHIN THE MEANING OF TITLE 18, SECTIONS 793
AND 794, OF THE U.S. CODE, AS AMENDED. ITS TRANSMISSION OR REVE-
LATION OF ITS CONTENTS TO OR RECEIPT BY AN UNAUTHORIZED PERSON IS
PROHIBITED BY LAW. THE REPRODUCTION OF THIS FORM IS PROHIBITEO?
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DATE DISTR. ittlA4 52
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NO. OF PAGES 4
NO. OF ENCLS.
(LISTED BELOW)
SUPPLEMENT TO
REPORT NO.
THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION
1. The production of textiles is the most important industry in Bulgaria. The
industry is concentrated in the following cities, listed in the order of
their importance: Oabrovo, Sofia, Sliven, Plovdiv, and Stalin (formerly
Varna.)
Raw Materials
2.
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3.
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Bulg,aria's present production of cotton is the same as it was before the
war, about three to four million kilograms per year8
this is to be increased to about six or seven million kilos, but
do not know the date when this target is to be reached.
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Before the war 50% of Bulgaria's cotton imports came from India, the. re-
mainder from Egypt, South America, and the US. Today, Bulgaria imports
only Soviet and Egyptian cotton; 18 million kilos annually of the former
and about three to five million kilos of the latter.
The Egyptian cotton comprises
only very fine grades, while the Soviet cotton consists of much coarser
grades.
Bulgaria buys almost none of its Egyptian cotton directly from Egypt.
Instead, the USSP purchases it from Egypt and then sells it to Bulgaria.
the reason for this procedure is that the USSR lacks
sufficient spinning capacity and therefore purchases cotton for processing
in the satellite countries, afterward buying the finished textiles from
the satellites.
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5. most of the hemp required by Bulgaria is grown domestically. Most of the
50X1 countryle flex requiremente must be imported, Prior to the war, Bulgaria
imported flax from Italy and the BC tic Statta.
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60 Itcal Produced in Bulgaria is coarse, Before the war, Bulgaria I:Sported
50x1 inStralian wool from England and wool thread from German)",
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NPinning and -Ite...aL13.'_taitsill
70 in 1939 the inventory of nekton Spinning machinery in Bulgaria totalled
240,000 spinning spindlis. no spinning. machines have
50X1 been imported since': that time Skeet& for et- 60,000 spindle mill preheated
from ,EsiSt Germany in 05041. It is pplannid:ter..Incronse this capacity
through the importation of an additional 60,000 pindlee Of spinning
50X1 machinery by 1955. In 'Bulgaria, the average life span for
aPinning machines is thiitt years.
8 In 1939 Btilgarien spinning mi3le, yorking--twa-eightwhour ehifts. ,per day,
',Oroduced a7bout 20 million kilograms. of votteirthreitd-ranging from #8 to
#36, vii,h #16 being the. average. (Thirer-fignres--refer to. 'the British
system issigna.ting cotton- thread.). . ipproximately-.50 to 60% of the
thread pro,-,eeti wa I6 the remainder being &Tided among 'Nino:bars 8, 12,
24, and 36. .7,-c-tr the trend was toward the 'production of ceirier
read, so that auw approximately 50 to 60% of cotton 'thread output is
lake
..n.1939theirivent? of wool ipinning machinee ranged from two to three
-thousand spinnin?pindles for wool .(Ntreichgain) and about $OO for
worsted (E.ammgern). . No additionsl-smehinery-has been imported since WQrld War
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.wool spinning capacity is insufficient to keep the looms fully occupied;
hence 50% of Bulgarian requirements for cloth and thread 'have to be
imported,
10. In 939 there were .approacimately three to four-ttionentind..epindlei for ..
Spinning hemp and 'flex in Bulgaria. Therer-beiiii belies no imports 'since that
.50X1 time, and, none are Planned. likiet of the
iiiiChinis are 50 to 60 years old.
110 In. 1039 'there were .*pproxisietely -seveit-thealiond loons in Bulgaria for
'Weaving Cotton and silk and approximately 24500. heavy looks for wool
.There were *Mother thousand loans for the weaving of hemp and flax.
No new machines have been imported since that time, Erato' any such imports
?
echednled at the Prelent time.
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lg. One of the bottlenecks in the Bulgarian teintile indultrY today is maahinery
for processing cloth into finished t.xtil predicts, is, 0614, iiireerize
int, laundering, pressing, and bittonhOling naehines.
Textile Plants
130 The two largest prewar Cotten spinning mills ia Bulgaria were *Bilgariage
in Gerne Banya near Nofia and *Tsar Boris in Verne. Each contained
-aheit ,000 spindles,
14. today the largest spinning factory would be the 60,600 spinning *Anal
installation purchased from list Germany. Its it called geteitilne Vlaknem
50X1 Mild is "loeatsdi in Nadeshda, a village-neer Wit.
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My the largest cotton *saving. la6tzory befol,e the 'war Itaa WroribustiO in
Itideihdi, 'Which eon:tel.:us-di. 4-2,,out ?CO locem'16o
"Oinee 'thehatiozalization intuatry textile industry.
,. ? . .....,
? -hie been N.?'itti6311Piliied19$ iany main fictoie
-re. hitire been,
. .
into
lerger _Ones. *iene eevernAt beUeed that great inereinel in
iipieity uld bethb tho s, but fron 'y experience ,in th.
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teXtil Ingiv*try, rationt11tition*6Oild reinit in-14'ilii 50X1
_
Ilan a 10% intereAse n eapac 7o
11., BulpriaCa preUar inkraintOry et textile machinery dein 'from a nimbir ?'of
?
:diffeientfrgTitworeiii Meat Of the maChineirr law
efail wayaixfaiita Of .dierman'Manuficileiii:
78ince Vie Ovid World War II, Bulgaria ha S not iMported any textilertaCainery
acciaasories and spare parte and a apiniting i11 ,purchaeed
?lig 190 fi7am htr Gey, Ihis lOsS A seMlOsta-sli thich inalnited
in-A-
all preparatory sontpment, 60,000 spinzinlepindlisa':a+A 001,-_,65b id tlig,
apindl,telOWIS maeliiraerjr leanutietutring :firm .Ok efteh1er ?M
lit Crivaitechau$ Baventy furnished the. prergatato7 ii*Obineryi :the -Mei
1,1!t 6ixppike,d spirmintig-fritesile the tirieting
. . .
.Liire-prosed frva.the HamAil.firm in Chelnitio Mao Ars the preier names
if thole flrMSj th rfirta Sinev-been-int,4rit-SCI VVB tAitimA,
, . . . .
1,14 Apvrts 67072:61es ler IreTlanement im existing 'spinning MaChinOry
rom tn4 Arm g:toller in Ihemnit,60 as Antialriction bearings in the Goner
Spindles JJ,717r.tto
by tRat ftra iromwssterm nermanra
29. -tatirtg ZP,:ei".1.1.5 and PL''Vilcar trose of textile needles hare alnays been
.1iioft1erfok !T thBtagar Ian .4v,:tile .indUstrY0 trig- iitta 'hu been buying as
'400i necalz it tou14_ Until 1,949 the firt47kideibrik,
Cheemitz (f.v,rue-fti, nalaw! Ease) and Nad,61fabrikp. Hoeihinatein intaientri 'batik
,Of VVB srapplioi Be% Bultartats:reitirments.. bat In h.
-Iiit spereentags4a.s .dleeressed-eoniiaeiab/7..JR41giiiiiiiss,
also be plzrohiaing ?k3rd'ildmg. and eeving-steerdles'firom the Welt Geinin
liri2 Gratz & Beckert in gsingenp BO*: 4arAparte for sewinciaehinia
is Another it which ias in cene,ant dand e like needie, b?
ineinaed'iv. every trade agreement conalUdid tetwien gaiter Gernany-tiel
Bulgairia.
20. Card ?611.othing i1,-)ilicharied ironEtthCiTaiitiawy 'and the d.1.1hel .10B
T.xtia(the fe:1"KtO :10 in.Nsue*e. nest,?le is the
-
*it Gerima77 'hal'erer World dar II the' dard. clothing' fOr,:cdittin cards
tb fcottani World tar II it has been
Made etillilmF,e fibvr and to alesserliegroe ofOettom. Ciaid Olething
aade frc,m Lluee fiber taste tiro to three *it-ev .that nide liras Oottiii,k,
-three to five year teSe)ieustadt plant also nrniihea lgsii.a irftih aiid
clothing for wool cad sp ?Which is more difficult to 4nutiotnie than ol?Ui
ing for Ootton earths.ILeani1it;e3 of evsn 4ire of cotton
With rubben, lthile clothing for cotton es;tds oaniiirts of five '14itis of
Satan -with Lo rubber in between.
. ? .
pi&
PTcduc.tion: of' y MI _Ha chin eTz
21. spare parts for cid machinery in tirAtiii pit s are Tlaitally nide to
In Bilgarien niAine shops., Shuttlts are ;reduced dczertically,ofliimai.
vooa which is not *sty satisfact caui it has. A tandShOr to ail:intik
And has a zhort life exPectancy.
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220 The only: carepleti textile machines manefeetUred in Bulgaria are soMe,
email loOlits and auxiliary tattle mei1inie2if"VeriOUS kinde
eMail machine shep he Bulgarian ieVerieletrt-litanSH to pro.
duce more and idle of its bfin ttii. meMprT reqiremeni.e0 Ae?a
beginnings, they 'now tr?iing to start 'pradUCtieit of spare parts ithiah,
over a "period: of isars, will probably adinince to Aka tage 1ere Colin:eta
machines of simple deSigns viii be producea?
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