SHIPPIING TO NORTH VIETNAM DURING JULY 1970

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP85T00875R001600030123-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 17
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: October 28, 2011
• Sequence Number: 123
• Publication Date: August 1, 1970
• Content Type: IM

 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/05/31: CIA-RDP85T00875R001600030123-2
J/ ,- C 25X1
DIRECTORATE OF
.1 INTELLIGENCE
Intelligence .Memorandum
Shipping To, North Vietnam During July 1970
ER IM 70-123
August 1970
Copy No. 63
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/05/31 : CIA-RDP85T00875R001600030123-2
 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/05/31 : CIA-RDP85T00875R001600030123-2
WARNING
This document contaikus information affecting the national
d3fense of the United States, within the meaning of Title
18, sections 793 and 794, of the US Code, as amended.
Its transmission or revelation of its contents to or re-
ceipt by an unauthorized person is prohibited by law.
CROUP I
Excluded from oulomoli<
downgrodinp and
J Ioulfrotl"n
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/05/31 : CIA-RDP85T00875R001600030123-2
 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/05/31 : CIA-RDP85T00875R001600030123-2
SECRET
All data in this memorandum are preliminary
and subject to minor changes as additional informa-
tion becomes available. Data for the preceding
month and monthly averages presented in the tables
have been adjusted to reflect corrections and addi-
tions. Weights of cargoes are expressed in metric
tons. Because of rounding, components may not add
to the totals shown.
SECRET
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/05/31 : CIA-RDP85T00875R001600030123-2
 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/05/31 : CIA-RDP85T00875R001600030123-2
SECRET
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
Directorate of Intelligence
August 1970
INTELLIGENCE MEMORANDUM
Snipping To North Vietnam During July 1970
Highlights
North Vietnamese seaborne imports fell seasonally
in July to 153,000 tons, more than 10% below the
monthly average for January-June 1970. A similar
decline occurred in July of each of the past four
years. Foodstuff and petroleum deliveries fell
sharply, but deliveries of general cargo were the
highest since June 1968. Imports from the USSR
fell to 73,400 tons, the lowest level since September
1969, and deliveries from Communist China also
dropped -- to 30,800 tons. These declines were partly
offset by large shipments from Eastern Europe, Cuba,
and the Free World. Soviet ships delivered 33 tons
of probable mil:,tary aid cargo.
Seaborne exports in July reached 41,000 tons,
well above the June total. Shipments of coal,
apatite, general and miscellaneous cargo,, rice, and
cement all rose above their June levels. The delivery
of kiln sections for the Haiphong Cement Plant in
July should help to increase cement exports in the
future.
Dry cargo ship congestion diminished during
July as the average number of dry cargo ships in
port per day sell from 18 to 14. Arriving tankers,
however, faced longer delays than usual, because
of a tanker backlog remaining from June and limited
lightering capability in Haiphong.
Note: This memorandum was produced solely by CIA.
It was prepared by the Office of E.aonomic Research
and information on ship arrivals was coordinated
with the Naval intelligence Command.
0 25X1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/05/31 : CIA-RDP85T00875R001600030123-2
 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/05/31 : CIA-RDP85T00875R001600030123-2
0 SECRET
Construction continued at the western and of the
new extension of the Chamber of Commerce Wharves,
and the Hospital Wharf was about half dismantled.
Petroleum storage facilities near the marine hospital
across the Cua Cam from Haiph.ong's main petroleum
storage facilities have been expanded.
Seasonal Reduction in Imports
1. North Vietnamese seaborne imports in July
slipped to 153,000 tons (see Tables 1 and 2), almost
19,000 tons less than in June. This drop was probably
influenced by seasonal factors; deliveries have been
lower in July than in June during each year since
1965, as shown in the accompanying tabulation.
Thousand Metric Tons
July
June
Monthly Average
First Half
Year
Total
Food
Total
Food
Total
Food
1965
62.1
15.5
46.5
6.2
53.1
10.2
1966
80.7
6.3
86.7
14.1
80.6
4.9
1967
72,0
24.8
141.9
59.9
139.1
40.5
1968
152.0
72.0
218.4
85.9
175.5
61.9
1969
135.4
59.9
163.7
81.5
164.4
78.5
1970
153.0
33.1
171.7
53.5
171.2
64.1
Imports of foodstuffs plunged to 33,100 tons, their
lowest level since September 1969, and would have been
even lower had it not been for one of the infrequent
deliveries of sugar (11,600 tons) from Cuba. Food-
stuff shipments from the USSR (16,700 tons) and
Communist China (4,300 ton:) dropped to their lowest
levels in 22 and 29 mouths, respectively. The de-
cline in foodstuff imports may indicate that North
Vietnam's fifth-month rice harvest was better than
in 1969.
I SECRET
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/05/31 : CIA-RDP85T00875R001600030123-2
 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/05/31 : CIA-RDP85T00875R001600030123-2
SECRET
Petroleum and Fertilizer Deliveries
2. Imports of petroleum dropped to 33,500 tons,
well below those in June but only slightly below
the monthly average during the first half. Nearly
21,000 tons originated in Soviet Black Sea ports
and were transported by Soviet tankers possibly in-
tended for summer utilization along the Northern
Sea Route, At the end of July there were no Soviet
tankers en route to Haiphong from the Black Sea or
the Soviet Far East, indicating a substantial ad-
ditional drop in petroleum deliveries in August.
3., Fertilizer deliveries rose slightly to 16,300
tons. About 7,500 tons of urea arrived from Japan,
Another 2.000 tons of
urea was delivered from Eastern Europe. Shipments
of ananonium sulfate from the USSR fell 49% to 6,800
tons and there were no deliveries from North Korea.
Large General Cargo Deliveries
4. Imports of general and miscellaneous cargo
jumped to their highest level since June 1968. This
increase was caused by large deliveries from Eastern
Europe (24,900 tons) and Communist China (26,500 tons),
the highest in 17 and 26 months, respectively. From
Eastern Europe, one Chinese and three Polish ships
transported steel, machinery, trucks, barges, pharma-
ceuticals, soap, chemicals, and cranes. One Polish
ship also delivered 1,600 tons of explosives; most
of it is probably for mining. The general and
miscellaneous cargo from China was largely unidentified
but probably included some foodstuffs. Deliveries of
general cargo from the USSR fell as Soviet dry cargo
arrivals from Black Sea ports declined from five in
June to three in July. Three Soviet ships, the Minsk,
the Murorn, and the Borie Gorbatov, delivered 33 tons
of unidentified cargo which is probably military
aid but not arras or ammunition.
SECRET
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/05/31 : CIA-RDP85T00875R001600030123-2
 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/05/31 : CIA-RDP85T00875R001600030123-2
SECRET
Exports Rise
5. Seaborne exports in July rose sharply to
41,000 tons, but remained slightly below the monthly
average during the first half (see Tables 3 and 4).
Coal exports rose to 17,300 tons, but remained well
below the monthly average during the first half; 11,700
tons was shipped to Japan, 4,000 tons to China, and
the remainder to Eastern Europe. Apatite exports of
13,400 tons were the highest since they were resumed
in August 1969 and went to China and North Korea.
Rice shipments of 4,400 tons to Hong Kong, Malaysia,
and Singapore were slightly above their previous high
for 1970 recorded in June.
Cement
6. Cement shipments amounted to a meager 900 tons.
However, the arrival of nine rotary kiln sections aboard
the Cypriot flag ship Buonavia (s?~e the photograph)
may portend increased exports of cement. These new
kilns wi.',l probably be used in reconstructing the
Haiphong Cement Plant, which has been in partial
operation since June 1968. if the new kiln sections
are sufficient to complete restoration, the plant
could achieve its prebombing capacity of 700,000 tons
a year in about six months.
- 4 -
SECRET
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/05/31 : CIA-RDP85T00875R001600030123-2
 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/05/31 : CIA-RDP85T00875R001600030123-2
SECRET
Arrivals
7. Thirty-nine ships from foreign ports arrived
in North Vietnam during July, one less than in the
previous month (see Table 5). Soviet arrivals fell
to 15, the lowest number since September 1969. North
Vietnamese arrivals rose to seven, the highest number
thus far in 1970. Except for one Free World ship which
called in Hon Gai, all ships came to Haiphong.
Congestion in Haiphong
8. Dry cargo ship longestion at Haiphong was
virtually eliminated during July. The average number
of foreign dry cargo ships in port per day fell to 14
from 18 in June. The average layover time for de-
parting dry cargo ships, however, remained unchanged
at 17 days (see Tables 6 and 7).
9. Tanker congestion, while mild by standards
for dry cargo ships at Haiphong, continued in July
and was the worst of any month in 1970. The average
layover time for departing tankers in July was 16
days, compared with the monthly average of nine days
during the first half of the year. Tankers normally
offload into tank-lighters in the Haiphong area in-
stead of berthing, and the lightening facilities
appear to be limited.
Construction at Ha.phong
10. Photography in June showed that the petroleum
storage area adjacent to the T-head pier at 'the marine
hospital across the Cua Cum from Haiphong's main
petroleum storage facility was being expanded. Ten
new 21-ton tank: have been installed to complement
the eight bunkered tanks already there. This pier
and storage area may merely be a refueling point for
small river and harbor craft rather than additional
storage for petroleum imports.
11. Dismantling of the Hospital Wharf is about
half complete and it almost certainly will be re-
moved eventually. Nearby, fill material continues
to be added to the western end of the new extension
of the Chamber of Commerce Wharves. The transporter
SECRET
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/05/31 : CIA-RDP85T00875R001600030123-2
 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/05/31 : CIA-RDP85T00875R001600030123-2
SECRET
base for the fourth portal crane on the wharf ex-
tension is mounted on tracks, and boom assemblies
lie on the adjacent quay apron (see the photograph).
SECRET
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/05/31 : CIA-RDP85T00875R001600030123-2
 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/05/31 : CIA-RDP85T00875R001600030123-2
Seaborne Imports, by Origin and Commodity
1970
Thousand Metric Tons
Foodstuffs
Fertilizer
Petroleum
General and
Miscellaneous
Total
Origin
Jul
Monthly
Average
Jan-Jun
Jul
Monthly
Average
Jan-Jun
Jul
Monthly
Average
Jan-Jun
Jul a~
Monthly
Average
Jan-Jun
Jul
Monthly
Average
Jan-Jun
Total
33.1
64.1
16.3
17.3
33.5
35.1
70.0
54.7
153.0
171.2
Communist
33.1
64.0
8.8
.15.6
33.5
35.1
67.6
50.9
143.0
165.6
USSR
16.7
43.1
6.8
12.4
33.5
34.6
16.3
24.5
73.4
114.6
Eastern Europe
0.5
0.1
2.0
1.6
--
--
24.9
7.3
27.3
9.0
U]
0
M
J
China
4.3
17.5
--
--
--
0.5
26.5
18.0
30.8
36.0
North Korea
--
--
--
1.6
--
--
--
1.1
--
2.7
Cif
Cuba
11.6
3.3
--
--
--
--
--
0.1
11.6
3.4
Free World
0
0.2
7.5
1.7
0
0
2.4
3.8
9.9
5.6
Japan
--
7.5
1.7
--
--
--
0.3
7.5
2.0
Cambodia
Negl.
--
--
--
--
--
2.3
--
2.3
Other
0.1
--
--
--
--
2.4
1.2
2.4
1.4
a. Including 40,900 metric tons of unidentified cargo, 11,300 tons of metal products, 7,500 tons
of machinery, and 2,000 tons of vehicles.
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/05/31 : CIA-RDP85T00875R001600030123-2
 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/05/31 : CIA-RDP85T00875R001600030123-2
Total
Flag
Communist
methods which have proved to be highly reliable.
Soviet
East European
:Chinese
Cuban
North Vietnamese
Food-
stuffs
Ferti-
lizer
Petro-
leum
General
and
Miscel-
laneous
Total
28.9
8.8
33.5
48.6
119.8
16.7
6.8
33.5
16.4
73.4
0.5
--
--
18.0
18.5
--
2.0
--
14.1
16.2
11.6
--
--
--
11.6
--
-
--
0.1
0.1
Jun
Monthly
Average
Jan-Jun
148.8
145.4
126.9
117.7
4.4
10.4
t~7
17.5
13.4
-
3.4
Negl.
0.5
a. Identified imports include some estimates of bulk cargoes, using
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/05/31 : CIA-RDP85T00875R001600030123-2
 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/05/31 : CIA-RDP85T00875
Seaborne Exports, by Destination and Commodity
1970
Thousand Metric Tons
Apatite
Rice
General
and
Miscel-
laneous
Total
Monthly
Monthly
Monthly
Monthly
Monthly
Monthly
D
ti
ti
Average
Average
Average
Average
Average
Average
es
na
on
Jul
Jan-Jun
Jul
Jan-Jun
Jul Jan-Jun
Jul
Jan-Jun
Jul J
-J
l
an
un
Ju
Jan-Jun
Total
17.3
26.9
0.9
1.0
13.4 8.7
4.4
1.8
5.0 3.5
41.0
41.9
Communist
5.6
11.3
0
0
13.4 8.5
0
0
1.5 0.9
20.4
20.7
USSR
--
--
--
-
-- --
--
--
0.1
--
0.1
Eastern Europe
1.6
--
--
--
-- --
--
--
0.4 0.7
2.0
0.7
China
4.0
10.4
--
--
7.9 2.4
--
--
0.6 0.1
12.5
12.9
North Korea
--
--
--
--
5.5 6.1
--
--
0.4 0.1
5.9
6.2
Cuba
--
0.8
--
--
Free World
11.7
15.7
0.9
1.0
0 0.2
4.4
1.8
3
5 2
5
20
5
21
2
.
.
.
.
Japan
11.7
14.0
--
--
-- Negl.
--
--
0.1 0.4
11.8
14.4
Cambodia
--
--
--
--
-- --
--
--
-- 0.3
--
0.3
Other
--
1.~
0.9
1.0
-- 0.2
4.4
1.8
3.4 1.8
8.8
6.4
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/05/31 : CIA-RDP85T00875R001600030123-2
 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/05/31 : CIA-RDP85T00875R001600030123-2
Seaborne Exports, by Flag and Commodity a/
1970
H
July
Flag
Coal
Cement
Apatite
General
and
Miscel-
Rice laneous
Total
Communist
8.2
0.9
13.4
4.4
5.0
31.9
Soviet
2.6
--
--
4.3
2.6
9.5
East European
1.6
--
5.5
--
0.4
7.5
Chinese
4.0
--
7.9
--
0.6
12.5
Cuban
--
--
--
--
--
--
North Vietnamese
--
0.9
--
0.1
1.4
2.4
9.1
0
0
0
0
9.1
a. Identified exports include some estimates
of bulk
cargoes, using
have proved to be highly reliable.
Monthly
Average
Jun Jan-Jun
Us
25.6 41.2
C7
15.8 21.9 h
1.6 1.9
6.7 12.9
-- 1.8
1.4 2.7
0 0.7
methods which
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/05/31 : CIA-RDP85T00875R001600030123-2
 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/05/31 : CIA-RDP85T00875R001600030123-2
Ship Arrivals, by Type, Flag, and origin
1970
Origins
Total
Jun
Total
Mcnthly
Average
Jan-Jun
39
40
43. 7
34
35
37.8
5
5
5.8
31
35
37.5
15
25
25.3
3
1
2.3
---
0.5
3
1
1.8
5
5
5.5
1
--
0.7
7
4
3.7
8
5
6.2
4
3
4.3
3
2
1.7
1
a/
--
0.2
b/
Black Far = Communist Other Fr'e
Type/Flag Sea East China Communist World
5 8 10 6 10
Dry cargo 3 5
Tanker 2 3
9
Soviet 5 8
East European -- -
Bulgarian -- -- -- -- --
Polish -- -- -- 3 --
Chinese -- -- 4 1 --
Cuban -- -- -- 1 --
North Vietnamese -- -- -- -- 7
British
Somalian
Other
a. Cypriot.
b. Maltese.
0 0 6 1 1
4 -- --
2 -- 1
1 a/ --
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/05/31 : CIA-RDP85T00875R001600030123-2
 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/05/31 : CIA-RDP85T00875R001600030123-2
Table 6
Average Number of Dry Cargo Ships in Haiphong per Day
Number of Ships
1967
1968
1969
1970
January
7
21
24
14
February
10
23
21
17
March
16
23
21
15
April
16
19
21
15
May
18
16
20
18
June
25
23
18
18
C)
July
22
30
21
14
h
August
17
28
September
13
34
October
13
33
November
12
29
December
13
27
Average for year
15
25
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/05/31 : CIA-RDP85T00875R001600030123-2
 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/05/31 : CIA-RDP85T00875R001600030123-2
Average Layover Times
-
for Foreign Dry Cargo Ships Departing Haiphong a/
Number of 1)
Month
1968
1969
January
12
15
25
13
February
10
27
21
14
March
13
28
17
17
April
12
19
19
14
May
17
14
20
13
ts7
June
22
17
21
17
C-) a-
w
July
24
25
21
17
~
August
33
31
22
CTi
September
19
41
21
H
October
19
35
19
November
18
30
16
December
15
29
14
Average for year
18
25
20
a. The average layover time for departing dry cargo ships is compiled by
averaging layover times (including both the day of arrival, and the day of
departure) of all foreign dry cargo ships leaving Haiphong in the month.
Tankers are excluded from the average because they do not compete with dry
cargo ships for the United berthing space in Haiphong.
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/05/31 : CIA-RDP85T00875R001600030123-2