IRON AND STEEL INDUSTRY

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82-00457R012900340001-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: April 16, 2002
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: July 14, 1952
• Content Type: REPORT

Approved For Release 2002/08/08 : CIA-RDP82-00457RO12900340001-5
FEB 1952 ai 4Aw
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CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY 25X1
CLASSIFICATION SECRETA
IN OR AA ION REPORT REPORT NO.
CD NO.
COUNTRY Rumania.
SUBJECT Iron and Steel Industry
25X1A
25X1A.
DATE DISTR. 14 July 192
NO. OF PAGES 2
NO. OF ENCLS.
(LISTED BELOW)
OL.ATE SUPPLEMENT TO
25X1 REPORT NO.
The following data were collected concerning the iron. and steel industry
in various parts of Rumania.
The Rumanian Government nationalized the iron and steel industry in June
1948, but the five-year plan was.not started until 1951. It was preceded
by two oneyear plans. The 1949 plan was aimed at an, increase in pro-
duction of 40 percent over 1948. The extraction.of iron'ore went from
209,9000 tons in 1948 to 324,000 tons in 1949; the production of castings
went from 190,000 tons to 275,000 tons; and that of crude steel in-1,
Creased from 34.09000 tons to 458,000 tons. The 1949 plan included tit
reconstruction of three blast furnaces and two Siemens-Martin furnaces
(blast furnaces), as well as the construction of several new Siemens-
Martin furnaces, two batteries of coke furnaces, and the construction of
two new rolling mills which would be completed in the following year,
.2o The 1950 plan included an increase of 19 percent in crude steel, 16 per-
cent in castings, and 1.6 percent in iron ore. The actual production was
395,000 tons of iron ore, 335,000 tons of castings, and 558,000 tons of
crude steel. The new investments planned were: a large-capacity blast
furnace, some Martin furnaces, an electric furnace, the completion of
the rolling-mills begun the previous year, and the construction of a
rolling mill for steel alloys. Actually, four new Martin furnaces were
constructed,, the mill for steel alloys was constructed, and a blast
furnace was reconstructed.
3. The five-year plan includes production of 375,000 tons of castings,
640,000 tons of steel and 4429000 tons of rolled steel for 1951; for 1952,
the plans are for 590,000 tons of castings, 730,000 tons of steel, and
530,000 tons of rolled steel. For 1955 (sic), plans are for 800,000 tons
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of castings, 1,252,000 tons of steel, and 828,000 tons of rolled steel.
The chief objectives of the five-year plan are the development of new
deposits of iron ore. The construction of five new blast furnaces of a
daily capacity of 320 tons each (the present capacity varies between
110 and 180 tons), and at least five new Siemens-Martin furnaces, of
which four with a capacity of 130 tons will go to Hunedoara.
4. The program also includes the -reconstruction of two blast furnaces, nine
Martin furnaces, four rolling mills, a pipe factory with an annual capacity
of 250,000 tons, of which 120,000 tons are seamless pipes, and factories
producing ferromanganese and other ferro-alloys. The USSR is expected
to furnish coke furnaces with an annual capacity of 600,000 tons, the
setting up of an iron ore center, and rolling mills for steel sections
and sheet metal for the manufacture of tin. Finally, the plan provides
for the reconstruction and modernization of the factories of Hunedoara
and Resita; work has already begun at Hunedoara.
5. The 1951 program provided for the construction of two new blast furnaces:
one at Hunedoara and one at Calan. It included the construction of a new
pipe factory and the setting up of forges and foundries, the exploitation
of two new coal fields, and the setting up of new coke furnaces at
11Iunedoara.
I
to be supplied from that area. However, Rumania could offer oil in ex-
change.
Rog are about, the only source on which Rumania could draw, but other
satellites such as East Germany, Poland and Czechoslovakia will also
6. A new five-year plan has been announced which provides for the annual
production of two million tons of crude steel by 1.960.
7. In 1951, the countries of the Eastern bloc produced slightly more than 40
million tons of crude steel, which is hardly sufficient, considering the
territory of the USSR and its satellites, and their Eee i and iron needs.
For example, official reports have shown that in the USSR and Hungary, the
production of steel has prcZressed at a slower ra e than the expansion of
tney~ ariics.l :.ndust:ry. The same is probably true for the other countries,
which suffer from a chronic shortage of steel. With mechanical. construct-
ion being demanded in these underdeveloped areas, it is probable that the
demand for steel'wi.l.l. not be satisfied within the next ten years.
8. Since the iron ore deposits in Rumania are not too large, a production of
two million tons of crude steel planned by 1960 assumes the furnishing of
iron ore by outside sources. It is not certain that this will be available.
Russia, the chief source of supply, has its own program of expansion which
provides for production of 60 million tons of crude steel by 1960, and
will thus have the priority on available iron ore. The minerals of Kvoi
9. The lack of coal that can be turned into coke is another shortage which
handicaps the Rumanian steel industry. The plans for 1955 provide for a
sufficient coke-making capacity, but the supplying of these new installa-
tions will be a problem. Imports can come from Poland and Russia, but
the expense of shipping by rail from Poland would be extremely large,
while Russian coal can be transported by water. The other raw materials,
for the most part, are in sufficient supply, but the lack of iron ore and
coke are. the problems which confront the iron and steel industry in
Rumania.
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