THE RUBBER INDUSTRY IN THE SINO-SOVIET BLOC

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP79-01093A001200040009-3
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 122
• Document Creation Date: November 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 16, 1999
• Sequence Number: 9
• Publication Date: March 15, 1957
• Content Type: IR

SECRET
6? &elease 1999/09/02: CIA-RDP79-01093A001200040009-3.
N? 81
PROVISIONAL I NTELLIGENCE REPORT.
THE RUBBER INDUSTRY
IN THE SNO - SOVIET BLOC
zro~ &Q.
N
44
z
cIA/RR PR-1 55
4-11 Iola rch - 1957
=CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
OFFICE OF RESEARCH AND REPORTS
CLAW
2
Approved For ReleaaO AA RD~~ 91093AO01200040009-
El I
10~Y~fiNT~~ir
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This material contains information affecting
the National Defense of the United States
within the meaning of the espionage laws,
Title 18, USC, Secs. 793 and 794, the trans-
mission or revelation of which in any manner
to an unauthorized person is prohibited by law.
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S-E-C-R-E-T
PROVISIONAL INTELLIGENCE REPORT
THE RUBBER INDUSTRY IN THE SINO-SOVIET BLOC
CIA/RR PR-155
(ORR Project 22.860)
NOTICE
The data and conclusions. contained in this report
do not necessarily represent the final position of
ORR and should be regarded as provisional only and
subject to revision. Comments and data which may
be available to the user are solicited.
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
Office of Research and Reports
S-E-C-R-E-T
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S -E -C -R -E -T
FOREWORD
The purpose of this report is to present the latest information
available on the rubber industry of the Sino-Soviet Bloc. Previous
reports have presented information on the rubber position of the
USSR and of the European Satellites. This information has been
brought up to date in this report. Because of its increasing impor-
tance in the economy of the Sino-Soviet Bloc, the rubber industry of
Communist China is discussed.
No data are available on capital investments, manufacturing
costs, wholesale prices, or labor inputs for either synthetic
rubber or finished rubber products in the Sino-Soviet Bloc.
Hence this report is confined to the production and consumption
phases of the industry.
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CONTENTS
Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
I. Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
II. Supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
A. Production . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
1. USSR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
a . General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
b. Natural Rubber . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
C. Synthetic Rubber . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
d. Reclaimed Rubber . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
e. Transportation Goods . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
f. Carbon Black . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
g. Tire Cord . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
h. Beadwire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
i. Nontransportation Goods . . . . . . . . . 18
j. Sixth Five Year Plan (1956-60) . . . . . . . . 19
a. General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
b. Nonrubber Components . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
a. General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
b. Natural Rubber . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
C. Synthetic Rubber . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
d.. Reclaimed Rubber . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
e. Transportation Goods . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
f. Carbon Black . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
g. Tire Cord . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
h. Beadwire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
i. Nontransportation Goods . . . . . . . . . . . 23
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4. Czechoslovakia . . . . . . . . , , , . . . . .
a. General . . . . . . .
b. Natural Rubber . . . . . , . . . .
c. Synthetic Rubber . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . .
d, Reclaimed Rubber . . . . .
e. Transportation Goods . . . . , . . . . . _
f. Carbon Black . . . , , , .
g. Tire Cord . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
h. Beadwire . . , . , . . . . . . . . . . . .
i. Nontransportation. Goods . . . . . . . . . . . .
5. East Germany . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
a. General.. . . . . . . .
b. Natural Rubber . . . . . . .
C. Synthetic Rubber . . . . . . ? . . .
d. Reclaimed Rubber . . . . . . . . . .
e. Transportation Goods . . . . . . . . . . . . .
f. Carbon Black . . . . . .
g. Tire Cord . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
h. Beadwire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
i. Nontransportation Goods . . . . . . . . . . . .
6. Hungary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
a. General . . . . . . .
b. Natural Rubber , , . . . . . . . . .
C. Synthetic Rubber. , . . . . . . . . .
d. Reclaimed Rubber. . . .. . , , . . . . .
e. Transportation Goods . . . , . . . . .
f. Carbon Black . . . . . . .
g. Tire Cord . . . . . . . . . . . .
h. Beadwire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Nontransportation Goods . . . . . . . . . . . .
7. Poland . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
a. General . . . . . .
b. Natural Rubber . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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24
24
25
26
28
28
29
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31
31
32
32
33
37
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39
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2
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c. Synthetic Rubber . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 455
d. Reclaimed Rubber . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
e. Transportation Goods . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4+6
f. Carbon Black . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
g. Tire Cord . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4+8
h. Beadwire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
i. Nontransportation Goods . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
8. Rumania . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
a. General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
b. Natural Rubber . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
c. Synthetic Rubber . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
d. Reclaimed Rubber . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
e. Transportation Goods . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
f. Carbon Black . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
g. Tire Cord . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
h. Beadwire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
i. Nontransportation Goods . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
9. Communist China . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
a. General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
b. Natural Rubber . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . 57
c. Synthetic Rubber . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
d. Reclaimed Rubber . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
e. Transportation Goods . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
f. Carbon Black . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
g. Tire Cord . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
h. Nontransportation Goods . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
B. Stockpiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
C. Trade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
1. Natural Rubber . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
2. Synthetic Rubber . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
3. Rubber Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
4. Plans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
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A. USSR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
B. Albania . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
C. Bulgaria . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
D. Czechoslovakia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
E. East Germany . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
F. Hungary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
G. Poland . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
H. Rumania . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
I. Communist China . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
A. General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
B. USSR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
C. European Satellites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
D. Communist China . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
A. General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
B. Capital Investment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
VI. Capabilities, Vulnerabilities, and Intentions .
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.A. Capabilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
B. Vulnerabilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
C. Intentions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
A }pendlxes
Appendix A. Methodology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Appendix B. Gaps in Intelligence . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Appendix C. Source References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
95
99
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1. Estimated Production of Synthetic Rubber in the USSR,
by Plant, 1946-55 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
2. Estimated Requirements for Reclaimed Rubber in the USSR,
1946-55 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
3. Estimated Production of Motor Vehicle Tires in the USSR,
by Plant, 1946-55 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
4. Facilities for the Production of Carbon Black in the USSR,
1955 .......................... 15
5. Estimated Production of Rubber Footwear in the USSR,
1945-55 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
6. Estimated Production of Motor Vehicle Tires in Bulgaria,
1946-55 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
7. Estimated Production of Synthetic Rubber in Czechoslovakia,
1946-55 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
8. Estimated Production of Motor Vehicle Tires in Czecho-
slovakia, 1946-55 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
9. Estimated Production of Synthetic Rubber in East Germany,
1946-55 and 1960 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
10. Estimated Production of Motor Vehicle Tires in the Euro-
pean Satellites, by Country and by Plant, 1946-55 . . . 34
11. Estimated Production of Carbon Black in East Germany, by
Plant, 1950-55 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
12. Estimated Production of Footwear in East Germany,
1946-55 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
38
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13. Estimated Production of Reclaimed Rubber in Hungary,
1946-55 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
14. Estimated Production of Motor Vehicle Tires in Hungary,
1946-55 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
15. Estimated Production of Rubber Footwear in Hungary,
1948-55 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
16. Estimated Production of Reclaimed Rubber in Poland,
1946-55 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
17. Estimated Production of Motor Vehicle Tires in Poland,
1946-55 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
18. Estimated Production of Footwear in Poland, 1946-55
19. Estimated Production of Motor Vehicle Tires in Rumania,
1946-55 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
20. Estimated Production of Motor Vehicle Tires in Communist
China, 1946-55 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
21. Estimated Production of Motor Vehicle Tires in China,
by Plant, 1948- 5 5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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53
60
61
22. Estimated Production of Footwear in Communist China,
1949-57 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
23. Estimated Imports of Natural Rubber by the Sino-Soviet Bloc,
by Country, 1946-55 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
24. Planned Shipments of Synthetic Rubber and Motor Vehicle
Tires Within the Soviet Bloc, 1957-60 . . . . . . . . . .
25. Estimated Consumption of Rubber in the USSR, 1946-55
and 1960 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
26. Estimated Consumption of Rubber in Albania, 1946-55
71
15
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27. Estimated Consumption of Rubber in Bulgaria, 1946-55 77
28. Estimated Consumption of Rubber in Czechoslovakia,
1946-55 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
29. Estimated Rubber Consumption in East Germany, 1946-55 ? . 79
30. Estimated Consumption of Rubber in Hungary, 1946-55 ? ? ? 80
31. Estimated Consumption of Rubber in Poland, 1946-55 81
32. Estimated Consumption of Rubber in Rumania, 1946-55 82
33. Estimated Material Balances of Rubber in the Sino-Soviet
Bloc, 1946-55 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
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CTA/RR PR-155 S-E-G-R-E-T
(ORR Project 22.860)
Summary
During the period following World War II the rubber industry in
the Sino-Soviet Bloc has expanded at a rate somewhat greater than that
of most other Bloc industries. Although the productive capacity of
the rubber industry in the Bloc now meets the essential requirements
of the Bloc-wide economy, it is not great enough to provide quantities
and varieties of consumer goods comparable to those available to the
people of Western Europe. The per capita consumption of rubber in
the Bloc in 1955 was only a fraction of that in most countries of
the West.
The rubber industries of the various countries of the Sino-Soviet
Bloc, like those of other countries, are dependent on supplies of
natural, synthetic, and reclaimed rubber. The total Bloc supply of
these kinds of rubber in 1955 was about 545,000 metric tons.** Of
this total, natural rubber -- all of which was imported from non-Bloc
countries -- accounted for about 127,000 tons, synthetic rubber for
about 314,000 tons, and reclaimed rubber for about 104,000 tons.
Of total Bloc production of synthetic rubber in 1955, the USSR
produced the greater part, about 240,000 tons. East Germany ac-
counted for about 71,000 tons, Poland produced 2,000 tons, Czecho-
slovakia produced about 600 tons, and the other European Satellites
and Communist China produced negligible amounts, if any. The USSR was
also the major producer of reclaimed rubber in 1955, accounting for
about 76,000 tons of the 104,000-ton total. The other Bloc countries,
except Albania and Communist China, produced amounts ranging from 300
tons in Bulgaria to 10,500 tons in Czechoslovakia.
* The estimates and conclusions contained in this report represent
the best judgment of ORB as of 1 October 1956.
** Tonnages throughout this report are given in metric tons unless
otherwise indicated.
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Perhaps the best measure of the development of the rubber industry
in any industrialized nation is the production of motor vehicle tiles,
including tires for aircraft and military vehicles. Between 1950
and 1955, production of tires in the Sino-Soviet Bloc increased 53,6
percent. Total 1955 production of motor vehicle tires in the Bloc was
about 17 million units. The USSR produced about 11.6 million;
Czechoslovakia, about 2 million; East Germany, about 1.2 million;
Communist China, about 600,000; Poland, about 425,000; Rumania and
Hungary, about 195,000 each; and Bulgaria, about 87,000. US produc-
tion of motor vehicle tires in 1955 was about 112 million units. Any
comparative evaluation of production of tires in countries of the Bloc
based on US production, is qualified by differences in the pattern
of production. In the US, tires for passenger cars account for a
much greater portion of total production of tires than in any of t e
Bloc countries.
Except for imports of natural rubber from non-Bloc countries,
Sino-Soviet Bloc trade in rubber and rubber products is confined
largely to intra-Bloc shipments. In 1955, Communist China imported
the largest amount of natural rubber, about 40,000 long tons of th
127,185-ton total, mainly from Indochina and Burma. The USSR
imported 24,400 long tons; Poland, 23,500 long tons; Czechoslovaki ,
23,300 long tons; and the other European Satellites imported the
remainder.
Perhaps the most significant aspects of the intra-Bloc trade irp
rubber and rubber products are probable reshipments of natural rubber
from Communist China to the USSR and shipments of synthetic rubber
from East Germany to other countries of the Bloc. In 1955, East
German exports of synthetic rubber -- controlled by the'USSR through
the mechanism of the Council of Mutual Economic Assistance (CEMA) -
amounted to 55 percent of total East German production.
It is probable that strategic reserves of rubber are maintained
only in the USSR. At the end of 1952 the Soviet reserve amounted to
about 300,000 tons of natural rubber. From mid-1953 to mid-1955 the
USSR purchased no natural rubber in the world markets, and it is
probable that to avoid deterioration of the stored rubber, reserve were
consumed by the industry. On the basis of that assumption, it is
estimated that at the end of 1955 Soviet reserves of natural rubbe
were between 50,000 and 100,000 tons.
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The diversity of application of rubber and rubber products in an
industrial economy makes impossible the determination of a detailed
pattern of consumption of rubber in the Sino-Soviet Bloc. A general
pattern can be established for the USSR, however, on the basis of
consumption of rubber in transportation goods and in nontransportation
goods. Of the total Soviet supply of rubber in 1955, about 232,400
tons, 67 percent was consumed in the manufacture of transportation
goods -- tires, tubes, repair materials, and the like. The manufacture
of nontransportation goods -- rubber footwear, hose, belting, sanitary
goods, and the like -- consumed 33 percent of the total. It is
probable that the pattern of consumption of rubber in the USSR is
generally applicable to the Bloc as a whole, except, of course, to
Communist China, in which the major rubber product is footwear. The
comparable 1955 US pattern of rubber consumption was about 63 percent
of the total supply consumed by transportation goods and 37 percent
consumed by nontransportation goods.
The rubber industry of the Sino-Soviet Bloc currently has the
capability of meeting the essential peacetime requirements of the
economy of the Bloc. In a wartime economy the industry's 1955
productive capacity would sustain Bloc military activity for about
2 years. At the end of that period the loss of imports of natural
rubber without a commensurate increase in production of synthetic
rubber would seriously hamper Bloc military effort. Sino-Soviet
Bloc plans indicate the clear intent of avoiding this eventuality.
The Soviet Sixth Five Year Plan (1956-60) calls for more than a
100-percent increase in the production of synthetic rubber, 525,000
tons in 1960, and a 100-percent increase in the production of motor
vehicle tires, 23 million units in 1960. East German plans call for
the production of 85,000 tons of synthetic rubber in 1960, a 20-percent
increase over 1955 production, and the production of 2.5 million motor
vehicle tires in 1960, 1/* a 100-percent increase over 1955 production.
Both Hungary and Communist China plan to construct new facilities
for the rubber industry, and the USSR undoubtedly will be an active
buyer of natural rubber in world markets during the 1956-60 period.
The rubber industry of the Sino-Soviet Bloc does not appear to
be significantly vulnerable, either in its supply of raw materials
* For serially numbered source references, see Appendix C.
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or in the concentration of its productive facilities. Neither i
the industry a reliable indicator of the possible military inten
tions of the Bloc.
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I. Introduction.
Rubber is an essential component of a great many industrial and
consumer products, and most modern media of transportation are com-
pletely dependent on adequate supplies of rubber. Transportation
difficulties of the German armies during World War I clearly demon-
strated the strategic importance of rubber. Following the war, how-
ever, only Germany and the USSR made serious efforts to develop a
synthetic substitute for rubber. _1 By 1939 these two countries
alone had well-established synthetic rubber industries. With the
dislocation of production and transportation of natural rubber dur-
ing World War II, supplies of rubber became of vital importance to
all combatants. 3 It was during this period that synthetic rubber
was first produced on a large scale in the US. J Synthetic rubber
was a major factor in the ultimate victory of the Western Powers.
Since 1945 the world demand for rubber has increased much more
rapidly than available supplies of natural rubber, and the synthetic
rubber industry has continued to thrive. Technological improvements
have produced rubber which is made to specifications, and the growth
of the industry is likely to continue. The economic importance of
synthetic rubber will increase as new applications are developed and
standards of living rise in all countries. At the same time, im-
proved methods of growing natural rubber and new uses for natural
rubber will intensify competition with synthetic rubber, and the
rubber industry probably will present a shifting pattern for many
years.
In the USSR the growth of the synthetic rubber industry has
followed pre-World War II planning. The primary concern of the
USSR is to be independent of Western sources for its essential
strategic raw materials. Because natural rubber grows outside the
present Communist-held areas, production of synthetic rubber has
expanded rapidly. Planned production for 1955 was 364 percent of
prewar production. J As transportation facilities and living
standards increase, future expansion probably will follow a similar
pattern.
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Except for the 19+1-4+8 period, when the rubber industry of he
USSR constituted a separate ministry, the industry has always been
a part of the Ministry of the Chemical Industry. / Within the
Ministry the following three main administrations are responsible
for production of rubber and rubber products 7/: the Main Adminis-
tration of the Rubber Industry (Glavkauchuk), the Main Administra-
tion of the Tire Industry (Glavshinprom), and the Main Administ?a-
tion of Industrial Rubber Products and Footwear (Glavrezinprom)
The sale and distribution of these products are handled by the ]Vhin
Administration for the Sale of Rubber Products, which is a part of
the Main Administration for the Sale of Chemical Products (Glav
khimsbyt).
Although Soviet scientists are extremely capable and devote
much time to research on synthetic rubber, there seems to have
been little technical advancement in manufacture since 1946. In
the USSR the basic raw material, butadiene, has been made from
alcohol produced by fermenting such foodstuffs as grain and pota-
toes. _! By contrast, the Germans have made synthetic rubber from
butadiene derived from calcium carbide and from styrene made from
benzol, a byproduct of coal tar. In 1947 the Communists confis-
cated the equipment of the German plant at Schkopau and moved it to
the USSR. This equipment was put into production with the help of
German technical personnel. 9f It is probable that much of the
expansion of the industry called for by the Sixth Five Year P1
(1956-60) will be based on the expansion of production of syn-
thetic alcohol from petroleum and on the expansion of production
of carbide. Thus the growth of the industry will follow the 1946
dictum of Stalin to the effect that nonfood sources should be ex-
ploited as raw materials.
Expansion of production of Sovprene, a Soviet oilproof rubb r,
has been curtailed because the USSR has been able to import other
types of oil-resistant rubber from East Germany. 10/ With the
planned expansion in production of carbide, it would be possible
to expand production of Sovprene should it become urgent for the,
USSR to increase present supplies.
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II. Supply.
A. Production.
1. USSR.
a. General.
Production of synthetic rubber in the USSR was begun
in the early 1930's and by 1939 had become well established. Although
no reliable information is available on production during World War II,
the Fourth Five Year Plan (1946-50) showed the postwar importance of
the industry in the minds of the Soviet planners. Production of
synthetic rubber in 1950 was to be twice that in 1940, whereas the
industry as a whole was expected to expand only 48 percent. Produc-
tion of motor vehicle tires was to be trebled, production of rubber
footwear was to increase one-third, and the announced goal for
reclaimed rubber was 56,000 tons. The gains accomplished were impres-
sive, but it is probable that the announced plans were not fulfilled. 11/
The Fifth Five Year Plan (1951-55).continued to emphasize the impor-
tance of the industry; production of synthetic rubber was scheduled
to increase-82 percent by 1955, while the planned increase for all
industry was 70 percent. No plans were announced for increases in pro-
duction of tires and footwear. The annual announcements concerning
plan fulfillments which have appeared since 1951 indicate that the
actual increase in production of synthetic rubber between 1950 and 1955
was about 68 percent. Increases in production of tires during the last
If years of the Plan were to total 39 percent. In 1954 and 1955, an-
nounced increases in production of rubber footwear amounted to 17.5
percent, but the increase in 1955 above 1950 is estimated to have been
somewhat less.
Although industrial production as a whole exceeded .
the planned goals, it would appear that production of synthetic rubber
was one of the areas in which plans were not fulfilled. 12/
b. Natural Rubber.
In support of Soviet efforts to become independent
of foreign sources of strategic raw materials, the USSR experimented
with domestic cultivation of rubber bearing plants in the 1930's.
Plans for growing such plants as kok-saghyz, tau-saghyz, and guayule on
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a large scale were interrupted by World War II. 13/ The Fourth Five
Year Plan called for 270,000 hectares (more than750,000 acres*) to
be planted to these crops by 1950. This acreage would have produced
over 7,000 tons of rubber. it/ No announcements were made concerning
the realization of this goal, and it is believed that results were
disappointing. In any event, the Fifth Five Year Plan made no mention
of domestic production of natural rubber.
Several factors indicate that, about 1952, Soviet plan ers
abandoned the plan to cultivate natural rubber. First, the land
requirements to meet the minimum needs of the USSR for natural
rubber would amount to several million hectares; at the same time here
was urgent need for arable land to implement the new agrarian policy
of the USSR.. Second, manpower needed for cultivation and processi g
was disproportionate to the amount of rubber produced. It has bee
estimated that the cost to produce the raw materials containing 1 on
of rubber solids amounted to the equivalent of 120,000 to 11+0,000
rubles. 15/ This amount did not include the cost of extracting th.
rubber. By contrast the 1952 average price of natural rubber in
Singapore was US $691.75** per ton, 16 2,767 rubles at the offici 1
rate of exchange.Xxx Third, during 1952, other crops were mention d 17/
in the Soviet press as being expanded on lands freed by the abando ment
of the rubber program. Fourth, no mention of production of natural
rubber has appeared in the Soviet press since 1951.
c. Synthetic Rubber.
A famous Russian chemist, Lebedov, was the inventor of
synthetic rubber. 18/ His discoveries led to the establishment
of the industry in the USSR at a time when the Soviet planners wer
eager to become independent of foreign sources of strategic raw materials.
The Second Five Year Plan (1933-37) called for the building of plants
which could produce "several tens of thousands of tons of rubber" per
year. Production in 1939 has been estimated at 6+,100 tons, 19/ a 1
made from alcohol obtained by the fermentation of foodstuffs. The end
One hectare equals 2.471 acres.
All trade values are given in terms of US dollars.
The official rate of exchange was 4 rubles = US $1.
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product was a general-purpose material which could be substituted
for natural rubber in most products. Meanwhile, the manufacture of
an oil-resistant synthetic rubber had been developed in the US.
Soviet attempts to duplicate this material were unsuccessful until
the technology of the US manufacturer was made available to the
USSR through Lend-Lease during World War II. The USSR built a plant
at Yerevan to make Sovprene 20/ (similar to US neoprene) and has
continued to make this special-purpose rubber in quantities suffi-
cient to meet its needs.
The Fourth Five Year Plan called for the development of
nonfood sources for making synthetic rubber, and a plant to use
petroleum gases was built in the Baku oil region. The Germans had
based their process on calcium carbide obtained from coke and limestone,
but most of the US industry used petroleum gases as a raw material.
After World War II, much of the equipment at the large East German
plant located in Schkopau was confiscated and moved to sites in the
USSR. German scientists and technicians were used to get these
new plants into operation. Details on the individual plants and on
rubber technology are given in a previous report. 21/
The estimated production of synthetic rubber in the USSR,
by plant, in 1946-55 is shown in Table l.* Sites other than those listed
in Table 1 have been reported, but their present status is uncertain,
and they have not been included as producers. A large plant has
been under construction for several years near Irkutsk, 22/ as a part
of the industrial complex being built in that area to utilize local
coal. Current information indicates that this plant is not yet in pro-
duction.
Reclaimed rubber is made by the destructive processing,
either chemically or mechanically, of old or discarded rubber products.
It is used both to increase the supply of natural rubber and in
formulations to impart desired characteristics to finished products.
An accurate estimate of production is impossible to obtain, because
production is largely dependent on the political and economic
situations in the rubber-growing areas and on the quantity of old
rubber products available for processing. Furthermore, most of the
production of reclaimed rubber is from facilities located in plants
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Estimated Production of Synthetic Rubber in the USSR, by Plant a/
1946-55
Economic
Plant Location
Region
Plant
1946
1947
1948
1949
1950
1951
1952
1953
1954
1955
Kazan'
VI
SK-4
15
15
20
30
30
30
30
30
30
30
Krasnoyarsk
IX
SK-9
0
0
0
0
0
5
8
15
15
20
Sumgait
V
SK-7
0
0
0
0
0
7
10
15
15
20
Tambov
VII
SK-5
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
5
7
15
Temir-Tau
Xa
SK-2
0
0
0
0
0
5
10
12
12
15
Voronezh
VII
SK-2 Kirov
N.A.
N.A.
10
22
38
4o
44
49
49
55
Yaroslavl'
VII
SK-1
22
25
30
30
30
30
30
30
30
30
Yefremov
VII
SK-3
N.A.
5
15
20
25
30
30
30
30
30
Yerevan
V
SK-1
2
5
15
20
20
25
25
25
25
25
40
50
90
122
143
172
187
211 b/
213 c/
240 d/
a. Estimates for 1946-52 are taken from source 23/. For a discussion of individual plant capacities,
see Appendix A, Methodology.
b. Total production in 1953 was announced as 113 percent of that in 1952. 24/
c. Total production in 1954 was announced as 101 percent of that in 1953. 25/
d. Total production in 1955 was announced as 112 percent of that in 1954. 2E/
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that use it for making consumer goods. Reclaimed rubber is considered
as a raw material, and for this reason no reports are published on its
production.
It has been estimated that the rubber-reclaiming capacity
of the USSR in 1945 was 30,000 tons. 27/ In addition to the data
available on the individual producers, 28/ a reliable indication of the
demand for reclaimed rubber in the USSR can be drawn from the consump-
tion of new rubber. In the US the consumption of reclaimed rubber
ranges from 20 to 30 percent of the new rubber consumed, depending on
a number of economic factors such as the availability and price of
reclaimed, natural, and synthetic rubber and on the types and potential
uses of the rubber products. The USSR is thoroughly familiar with the
literature on US practice in the use of reclaimed rubber, and it is
probable that the Soviet demand for reclaimed rubber will be within
the same general parameter as the US demand.
The estimated requirements for reclaimed rubber in the
USSR in 1946-55 are shown in Table 2.
Estimated Requirements for Reclaimed Rubber in the USSR
1946-55
Year
Requirements Year
Requirements w
1946
21
1951
50
1947
23
1952
55
1948
30
1953
61
1949
37
1954
68
1950
45
1955
76
a. Estimates for 1946-53 are taken from source 29/.
Estimates for 1954-55 are based on the assumption that
expansion of requirements for reclaimed rubber would
have been proportional to expansion of requirements for
new rubber.
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e. Transportation Goods.
There are at least 10 plants in the USSR producing tire
for motor vehicles and/or aircraft. 30/ It has been concluded that three
plants listed in an earlier report -- those at Kazan', Lopasnya, an
Ulyanovsk -- probably do not produce tires. No information has ben
received on these plants since 1951 nor have any tires traceable to
them been reported. It appears probable that these plants make
"camelback" (the trade name for retreading material) and are engage
t din or re airing tires. One plant has been added to the
e
p
in re r
a g
earlier list, a plant identified at Fosforitnaya (59038' N - 52027' E). 31/
This plant is reported to make tractor tires, primarily, and production
is small.
During the past decade the USSR not only has expanded
production of motor vehicle tires by installing additional equipment
in older plants but also has built at least two new plants. 32/ Otier
plants have been mentioned in the Soviet press, but there is no
evidence from either reports or markings data that these additional
plants are in production. The press reports indicate that future e an-
sion of the tire industry will include production capacity in both
central and eastern Siberia.
The estimated production of motor vehicle tires in the
USSR, by plant, in 1946-55 is shown in Table 3.*
Carbon black is a special form of essentially pure
carbon which, when added to rubber, greatly increases resistance t
abrasion and flexing. Carbon black is an essential component of m
rubber products, particularly transportation goods. In general,
natural rubber requires the admixture of about 25 percent by weigh
of carbon black to obtain products of high quality, and synthetic
ber needs from 40 to 50 percent to achieve comparable quality.
Carbon black is made by burning an organic substance i a
controlled supply of air and collecting the resultant "soot," or c rbon.
The original process burned natural gas and collected the carbon
* Table 3 follows on p. 13.
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Estimated Production of Motor Vehicle Tires in the USSR, by Plant a/
1946-55
Plant Location
1946
1947
1948
1949
1950
1951
1952
1953
1954
1955
Kirov
90
150
300
boo
950
950
950
950
1,000
1,000
Leningrad
300
400
600
650
700
700
720
750
850
900
Fosf or itnaya
o
o
0
10
10
10
10
10
20
75
Moscow
230
490
900
1,275
1,515
1,550
1,550
1,650
1,800
2,000
Omsk
250
300
450
700
1,000
1,000
1,000
1,000
1,200
1,400
Sverdlovsk
75
90
180
250
300
340
350
400
500
800
Voronezh
o
o
0
0
0
0
50
400
1,000
1,200
Yaroslavl'
2,000
2,400
2,700
3,100
3,600 '
3,600
3,600
3,600
3,6oO
3,600
Yerevan
30
41
75
115
170
170
170
200
275
6oo
Total
2,975
3,871
5,205
6,700
8,245
8,320
8,400
8,990
10,245
11,575
a. Estimates for 1946-50 are taken from source 33/- Estimates for later years are
based on more recent information and announced annual increases, as follows: there
was no announced increase for 1951 above 1950 (it was assumed to be 1 percent or
less); production in 1952 was 101 percent of that in 1951; production in 1953 was 107
percent of that in 1952; production in 1954 was 114 percent of that in 1953; and
production in 1955 was 110 percent of that in 1954.
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deposited on iron "channels," the product being known as "channel
black." An improved method burns petroleum fractions in a furnace
to make what are known as "furnace blacks." This process gives
higher yields per pound of raw material and is subject to the close
control which makes possible the production of grades designed for
specific applications. The latest development in the manufacture
of carbon black is the production of "high-abrasion" furnace blacks
specially suited for tire treads. As far as is known, the USSR has
not been able to produce carbon black of this type. The USSR has
ample supplies of both natural gas and petroleum, but the Soviet indus-
try uses old processes which US industry has improved greatly during
recent years. The quality of Soviet tires indicates that similar
improvements have not been attained by the USSR.
Before World War II the USSR was self-sufficient in the
production of carbon black, having built several channel plants in
the Baku oil region. 34/ In the postwar period the production of
these plants was insufficient to meet the requirements of the expand d
rubber industry. The resulting deficiency was met by imports from t .1e
US, which produces 90 percent of the world's production. 35/ In 195
the US placed an embargo on exports of carbon black to the Sino-Soviet
Bloc, a move which caused the USSR to expand production rapidly,
primarily in the gas and petroleum producing areas. 36/ As a conse-
quence, the USSR today has adequate supplies of carbon black to mee
the needs of its rubber industry.
Facilities for the production of carbon black in the USSR
in 1955 are shown in Table 4.*
g. Tire Cord.
During World War II the USSR received as a part of Lend-Lase
aid a complete, modern, US-built motor vehicle tire plant. Thus Soviet
technicians were fully informed on the importance of high-tensile tire
cord as an essential component of heavy-duty tires. For this reaso ,
the Fourth Five Year Plan called for a special main administration with-
in the Soviet textile industry, known as Glavcord, to control the pro-
duction of all tire cord. Much technical information was published on
the theory of tire construction and the causes of tire failures. 37,1
* Table 14 follows on p. 15.
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Table 4
Facilities for the Production of Carbon Black in the USSR a/
1955
Metric Tons per Year
it
Raw Materials
Type of Carbon Black
Produced
y
Capac
Region I
Ukhta (Krutaya)
12,000
Natural gas
Channel and furnace
Uritsk
4,000
Natural gas
Channel
Region III
Clezendorf
7,000
Natural gas
Channel and furnace
Region IV
Armavir
5,000
Petroleum
Furnace
l
Mozdok
1,500
Natural gas
Channe
l
Malgobek
1,500
Natural gas
Channe
Krasnodar
6,000
Petroleum
Furnace
l
Maykop
7,000
Natural gas
Channe
l
Novocherkassk
15,000
Natural gas
Channe
Region V
Lok-Batan
3,000
Natural gas
Channel
d furnace
l
Bina
6,000
Natural gas and petroleum
an
Channe
l
Baku
1,500
Natural gas
Channe
d furnace
l
Karadag
3,000
Natural gas and petroleum
an
Channe
a. This table is derived from detailed plant studies which are fully
documented and are available in CIA files.
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Facilities for the Production of Carbon Black in the USSR
1955
(Continued)
Metric Tons per Year
Location-
Capacity
Raw Materials
Type of Carbon Black
Produced
Region VI
Kuybyshev
6,000
Natural gas
Channel and furnace
Saratov
6,000
Natural gas
Channel and furnace
Region VII
Ivanovo
8,000
Petroleum
Furnace
Yaroslavl'
10,000
Petroleum
Furnace
Region IX
Omsk
9,000
Petroleum
Furnace
Region XI
Irkutsk
1,000
Acetylene
Acetylene
The industry apparently has followed developments in the US; articles
have appeared in Soviet publications regarding the use of nylon and
similar poly~amid fibers which the USSR makes under the names of "perl n"
and Capron. 38/
There are nine known Soviet tire cord plants which operat
under the supervision of Glavcord. 39/ In addition, three plants are
known to make perlon fiber which is used in tire cord. Production da-a
are lacking on individual plants, but it has been estimated that produc-
tion of perlon fiber in 1951 and 1952 was about 5,000 tons per year. 0/
This amount would constitute only a small percentage of the total Soy et
requirements for tire cord. It is probable that perlon cord would be
used primarily by the USSR in tires for jet aircraft and for motor ve i-
cles subject to extreme road conditions. In the US, nylon cord is
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standard for all aircraft tires and is being adopted for premium
heavy-duty tires of all types. A recent survey showed that in 1955
the use of nylon cord in the US increased 100 percent above that
in 1954. 41/
On the basis of the motor vehicle park in the USSR and the
high usage of trucks compared with passenger cars, it is estimated
that truck tires constitute about 90 percent of total Soviet production
of motor vehicle tires. 42/ On the basis of average weights, it is
estimated that about 5 kilograms (kg) of tire cord would be required
to make an average tire. The estimated production of tires in the
USSR would levy tire cord requirements in 1953-55 as follows:
Requirements
Year (Metric Tons)
1953 44,950
1954 51,225
1955 57,587
h. Beadwire.
Modern motor vehicle tires have a "bead" at either edge
which serves to hold the inflated tire on the rim. These beads must
have flexibility and great strength with a minimum of "stretch," or
extensibility. Tire beads are made from high-carbon steel, the wire
being drawn and either woven or twisted at the steel mill. The beadwire
is shipped to the tire plants on spools, and the individual beads are cut
and then fabricated by welding. Because of the extreme precautions neces-
sary to guard against corrosion, it is not considered feasible to stock-
pile or store beadwire or the fabricated beads for extended periods.
The average weight of steel in the finished beads varies from 2.5 to
5 percent of the weight of the finished tire, the higher percentage
being needed for heavy-duty tires. 43/
Construction of motor vehicle tires in the Sino-Soviet Bloc
follows standard practice in Western countries. Soviet-made tires have
been carefully analyzed and have been found to contain beadwire similar
to that used in the US, the chief difference being that the USSR uses
tin or zinc plating instead of copper or bronze. 44/ It is probable
that the USSR will be forced to adopt US practice for the construction of
tubeless tires because neither tin nor zinc plating produces the adhesion
needed in the newer type of tires.
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Estimated requirements for high-tensile wire in the US
are equal to 5 percent of the estimated total weight of all tires
produced. This 5-percent figure is used because of the high percen ge
of heavy-duty and truck tires made in the USSR. 45/ It is probable that
in the European Satellites there is more nearly T _'balance between t
number of truck tires and the number of passenger-car tires produce
For this reason, Satellite requirements are estimated to be 3.75 percent
of the estimated total weight of all tires produced. In the USSR
the requirements of the tire industry for steel wire will represent
less than 2 percent of the estimated national production of steel wi e,
and production of vehicle tires cannot be considered to be a major
consumer of steel. Estimated consumption of beadwire in the USSR in
1953-55 is as follows:
Consumption
Year (Metric Tons)
1953 13,485
1954 15,365
1955 17,362
i. Nontransportation Goods.
There are thousands of finished products made from rubber
and it is impossible to estimate production in even such broad cate-
gories as hose, belting, and mechanical goods. Although production d4ta
on rubber products are not given in Soviet publications, one rubber
product in the nontransportation field is usually mentioned in the
Five Year Plans and in the annual fulfillment announcements -- rubber
footwear. This category includes rubber-soled sandals as well as suc
usual items as boots, athletic shoes, and overshoes. For this reason
the statement appearing in a Soviet chemical magazine in January 1954,
to the effect that the industry must produce 91 million pairs of boot
and galoshes in 1954 in order to meet its established norm, 46/ does
not include other items which appear in Soviet statistics asprubber
footwear."
Annual increases in production of rubber footwear have bee
announced every year since 1945, with the exception of 1953 and 1954.
From these announcements and published prewar figures, it has been
possible to develop estimates of production of rubber footwear. The
Fourth Five Year Plan called for a sevenfold increase in 1950 above
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191+5, but this goal was slightly underfulfilled. The failure was
admitted in the official announcement covering the accomplishments during
the Plan period. The estimated production of rubber footwear in the
USSR in 1945-55 is shown in Table 5.
Estimated Production of Rubber Footwear in the USSR
1945-55
Year
Announced Production in Terms
of Previous Year
(Percent)
Estimated
Production
(Million Pairs)
1945
N.A.
14
1946
197 a/
27
1947
168 b/
45
1948
137 C/
62
1949
128 c/
80
1950
118 c/
94
1951
111
105
1952
N.A.
105
1953
N.A.
102
1954
103 e/
105
f/
1955
N.A.
105
j. Sixth Five Year Plan (1956-60).
The Sixth Five Year Plan (1956-60) of the USSR makes several
references to the expansion which is to take place in the rubber industry.
During the 5-year period it is planned to increase the production of
synthetic alcohol approximately 10 times and that of synthetic rubber,
2.2 times. The production capacity for motor vehicle tires is to be
doubled during the same period.
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The Sixth Five Year Plan of the USSR specifically provides
that new production facilities will be built in various economic regions
to meet local needs for rubber products. If these plans are fulfilled.,
much of the planned expansion, particularly in the tire plants, wilL
take place in south-central and eastern Siberia, where such facilit es
are now lacking.
2. Albania.
a. General.
Because Albania is not primarily an industrial country, its
production of rubber products is limited to nontransportation goods
such as footwear, gloves, and other consumer goods. The local dema d
for motor vehicle tires is met by imports from other countries of the
Sino-Soviet Bloc. The only rubber plant in Albania is located at Durres
(41o20' N - 19?25' E) and is variously reported to have from 70 to 30
employees. 53/ In addition to making consumer
goods, the plant at
Durres is said to recap worn motor vehicle tires. 54/ No statistic are
published on the quantities of various products made, but occasiona
notices appear in the Albanian press indicating that the plant has
fulfilled its production plan.
b. Nonrubber Components.
Because the rubber industry of Albania is limited to
producing nontransportation goods, the only nonrubber component of i or-
tance is carbon black, which is used in footwear and some other consumer
goods. All of the raw materials needed by the rubber industry, exce t
the small amount of fabric used in footwear, must be imported.
3? Bulgaria.
The manufacture of rubber products is considered to be o e
of the principal industries of Bulgaria and was scheduled to undergo a
90-percent expansion between 1952 and 1957. 55 For administrative
* For a discussion of the estimated volume of these
imports, see C,
p. 67, below.
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purposes, rubber plants are under the Ministry of Light and Food
Industries and are controlled by the Director of the Leather and
Rubber Industries. 56/
b. Natural Rubber.
As early as 1942, Bulgaria was reported to be experimenting
with the production of natural rubber from shrubs. 57/ Since the USSR
obtained control of the country, these experiments have been extended
to include the cultivation of kok-saghyz. As late as March 1954, it was
announced that further plantings of rubber bearing plants would continue
during the year. 58/ No announcements have been made about the success
or failure of the project, which probably has been dropped. As noted
in Table 23,* Bulgaria continues to import its requirements for natural
rubber from the West and from other countries of the Sino-Soviet Bloc.
c. Synthetic Rubber.
Bulgaria does not make synthetic rubber. It is dependent on
imports from the USSR and possibly from East Germany to meet its needs.
d. Reclaimed Rubber.
As previously reported, production of reclaimed rubber in
Bulgaria was started in 1950, 59/ principally in the only motor vehicle
tire plant (see e, below) in the country. This production is used
in the plant, and no statistics are published on production. It was
reported that 90 to 120 tons of reclaimed rubber were consumed in the
tire plant in 1950. 60/ The estimate of production of reclaimed rubber
in Bulgaria in 1950-55, as shown in the following tabulation, is based
on the growth of the tire industry:
Year
Production
(Metric Tons)
1950
90
1951
100
1952
150
1953
200
1954
250
1955
300
* P. 6b, below.
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e. Transportation Goods.
The manufacture of motor vehicle tires in Bulgaria is entirely.
state controlled. The only plant in Bulgaria is the Georgi Dimitr
State Rubber Factory in Sofia, which employs about 1,500 workers. 11
The plant was privately owned until 1948, when it was seized from We
owner. It had made footwear and consumer goods in addition to tir s.
After 1951, however, production was limited principally to truck ties.
In 1954, new buildings were added, 62/ and new machines from the US and
East Germany were to be installed, 7/ thus increasing the capacity of
the plant 50 percent. 64/ The rate of production in 1954 was reported to
be about 75,000 tires per year, 65/ and it was claimed that this rate
increased by about 1,000 per month in 1955. 66/ The estimated production
of motor vehicle tires in Bulgaria in 1946-55 is shown in Table 6.
Table 6
Estimated Production of Motor Vehicle Tires
in Bulgaria a/
1946-55
Year Production Year Production
1946 5.0
1947 8.o
1948 12.5
1949 26.9
1950 x+2.7
1951 55.0
1952 60.0
1953 65.8
1954 75.0
1955 87.0
a. L7/. All figures are rounded to the
nearest hundred.
Bulgaria does not produce any carbon black and so must eet
its requirements through imports from other countries of the Sino-S viet
Bloc. The volume of this business is discussed below.*
See C, p. 67, below, and III', p. 73, below.
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g. Tire Cord.
The textile industry of Bulgaria is primarily concerned
with the manufacture of cotton fabrics. As late as 1951+ there were
no artificial fibers produced or used in Bulgaria. 68/ There have
been no reports of synthetic fiber cord being imported by Bulgaria.
Based on these negative data, it is assumed that all tire cord made
or used in Bulgaria is cotton. Using the standard of 5 kg of cord
per tire, estimated requirements for tire cord in Bulgaria in 1953-55
are as follows:
Requirements
Year (Metric Tons)
1953 329
1954 375
1955 435
Bulgaria has no wire-producing facilities and is dependent
on imports for its requirements. The estimated consumption of bead-
wire in 1953-55 in Bulgaria is as follows*:
Consumption
Year (Metric Tons)
1953 74
1954 84
1955 98
i. Nontransportation Goods.
Approximately eight rubber plants in Bulgaria, the majority
of which are located in Sofia, make a wide variety of consumer goods,
including footwear, rainwear, sanitary goods, belting, hose, and similar
products.** 69/ No statistics have been published on the total annual
production of individual products. It is reported, however, that the
principal footwear plant, located at Sveto Vrachene (42042' N - 23?25' E),
produced rubber footwear at a rate of 3 million pairs per year in
1954- 70
* Based on the same ratio used for the USSR.
Details on these plants are meager. It is probable, however, that
fewer than 5,000 workers are employed in all of them.
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4. Czechoslovakia.
The rubber industry of Czechoslovakia is controlled and
administered by the Ministry of Chemical Production. The industry i
highly developed and not only is capable of meeting domestic requirements
but also exports its products to other European Satellites. It was
reported that production in the industry increased 126 percent durin
the First Five Year Plan (1949-53), 71/ and the Minister of the Chem cal
Industry claimed that production increased 176 percent between 1948 nd
1955, 72/ compared with the 145-percent increase for all the chemica
industries. The planned expansion in the first year of the Second Five
Year Plan (1956-60) calls for an increase of 10 percent in the rubbe
industry, 73/ which is only slightly higher than the planned expansi;n
of 9.7 percent for the chemical industry. Very little data have bee
received on individual plants since 1952; so estimates can be derive
only from previous reports and a few claims of expanded operations.
In 1949 the Soviet Minister of Agriculture ordered the
cultivation of kok-saghyz in Czechoslovakia 74/ and efforts were madle to
expand this crop during the succeeding years. In 1951, production o
150 tons was expected. 75/ No publicity has been given to the progr
since 1951, and in view of the small yield, compared with an estimat
annual consumption of about 20,000 tons of natural rubber, it is probable
It was reported that a plant producing an oil-resistant r bber
known as "svitpren" (neoprene) was put into operation in Czechoslovakia
during World War II. This plant reportedly produced about 3,000 tons in
1942. The plant was, however, destroyed during the war and has not been
rebuilt, 76/ but production of synthetic rubber apparently has continzed
in Czechoslovakia on an experimental basis. Scientific publications in-
Zlin) to meet domestic requirements for oil-resistant rubber. 77 Re ent
press notices indicated that a general-purpose synthetic rubber for u?e
in tires and related products is not being made. On 2 August 1955
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an article in the Bratislava press stated that Czechoslovak officials
are planning the construction of the first synthetic rubber plant. 78/
The estimated production of synthetic rubber in Czechoslovakia in
1946-55 is shown in Table 7.
Estimated Production of Synthetic Rubber
in Czechoslovakia
1946-55
Metric Tons
Year
Production Year
Production
1946
N.A.
1951
450
1947
40
1952
500
1948
300
1953
550 a/
1949
350
1954
575
1950
400
1955
6oo b/
a. 797
b. $0/
d. Reclaimed Rubber.
Production of reclaimed rubber is well-established in
Czechoslovakia. Three plants are reported to be in production, but
no figures are available on their individual capacities. 81/ Govern-
ment operational plans for the 4th quarter of 1949 indicated a produc-
tion of 6,140 tons of reclaimed rubber and a requirement of 9,000 tons.
Consumption of new rubber in the same year was estimated to be 38,570
tons, which would be roughly 4 tons of new rubber to 1 ton of reclaimed
rubber. 82/ (In the US the ratio is about 6 to 1 in the transportation
sector of the industry and 3.6 to 1 in the nontransportation sector. 8,3-,/)
It is believed that the reclaimed rubber industry in Czechoslovakia
will continue to expand at a rate sufficient to maintain production in
approximately this ratio. The estimated production of reclaimed rubber
in Czechoslovakia in 1946-55 is shown in the following tabulation:
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Year
Production
(Metric Tons)
Year
Production
(Metric Tons)
1946
4,500
1951
7,000
1947
5,000
1952
8,000
1948
5,500
1953
9,000
1949
6,000
1954
9,750
1950
6,500
1955
10,500
9-3
e. Transportation Goods.
As shown in Table 10,* Czechoslovakia is the major producer
of motor vehicle tires among the European Satellites, its production
accounting for more than one-half of the motor vehicle tires made in
the Sino-Soviet Bloc outside the USSR. Before World War II the French
Michelin firm had a branch plant in Prague, and the Bata interests had
a large plant in Gottwaldov. The plant in Gottwaldov continues to b
by far the largest tire plant in the country. All rubber plants in
Czechoslovakia have been nationalized.
The First Five Year Plan of Czechoslovakia called for a
64-percent increase in production of motor vehicle tires in 1953 corn
pared with that in 1949, an average increase of 10 percent per year.
The Czechoslovak State Statistical Office reported an increase Burin
the period of 126 percent for the rubber industry as a whole but did
not specify whether this increase was reported in monetary value or
units of production. Tires were not mentioned in the report. 84/ Du
ing the same period, total industrial production "more than doubled."
No plans for production of tires were mentioned in the annual plans
1954 or 1955, and no goals have been announced for the current Five
Plan. Production of truck tires in 1954 was announced as "greater t
planned," and production of footwear, as 107 percent of that in 1953.
No press announcements have appeared that would indicate the major e
pansion of any of the tire plants. It therefore seems reasonable to
assume that production of tires since 1953 has not been expanded at
rate greater than 10 percent per year. The estimated production of
motor vehicle tires in Czechoslovakia in 1946-55 is shown in Table 8.
or
ear
an
85
Table 8 is based on data previously published ?/ and repre-
sents a conservative estimate based on a restudy of several hundred docu-
ments pertaining to the individual tire plants in Czechoslovakia. A
recent report by the Council of Mutual Economic Assistance (CEMA) on the
* P.--34) below.
Table 8 follows on p. 27.
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Table 8
Estimated Production of Motor Vehicle Tires
in Czechoslovakia a/
1946-55
Thousand Units
Year
Production
Year
Production
1946
310
1951
1,570
1947
712
1952
1,660
1948
953
1953
1,750
1949
1,150
1954
1,875
1950
1,390
1955
2,000
a. Estimates on the production by individ-
ual plants is shown in Table 10, p. 34,
below.
planned production of tires between 1957 and 1960 indicates a much
smaller production of tires in Czechoslovakia. According to this docu-
ment, 211 production of "automobile tires" during this period will be
as follows:
Production
Year (Thousands)
1957 1,100
1958 1,205
1959 1,280
1960 1,375
The report specifies "automobile tires," but normal statistical
methods report "motor vehicle tires," which include equipment for all
types of motor-driven vehicles. The estimates of production in the other
European Satellites are consistent with CIA. estimates. The figures given
for Czechoslovakia, however, are considerably below those given in many
other documents. The weight of the evidence now available substantiates
the figures in Table 8.
During 1954 and 1955, quantity rather than quality seems to
have been stressed in the motor vehicle tire industry of Czechoslovakia.
In 1954, West Germany reported that the tires made in Czechoslovakia
with which imported "Skoda" motor vehicles were fitted were "entirely
worn out" after 5,000 kilometers (km) (about 3,000 miles). 88 More
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recently, 6,000 "Barum" tires (made at Gottwaldov) were imported by
Bolivia. The Bolivian government bought them from the importer and
supplied them to the participants in a national automobile race.
The results were disastrous because the tires failed before the race
was half completed. The Bolivians have demanded a refund of the
dollar price of the tires. ?9j Czechoslovak authorities apparently
have taken a serious view of this complaint and have sent a mission to
La Paz to investigate. 20/ It has also been reported that Czechoslovakia
sold 100,000 tires to Communist China in 1955 and that China protested
that the tires developed longitudinal cracks in the treads before the
were put into service. 91
Early in 1955 the formation of a cooperative between the
Czechoslovak and Polish rubber manufacturers was announced. Its obje -
tive.was to improve both the quality of the products and the methods of
manufacture. All tire producers in Czechoslovakia and Poland were in-
cluded in this organization. 92
Czechoslovakia has only one plant which produces carbon
black. This plant is located at Moravska Ostrava (49?50' N - 18?15' )
and is known as Urxovy Zavody. The plant makes carbon black by burning
anthracene, a byproduct of coal tar. It was reported to have 1,200
workers in 1950 and was operating at a rate of 2,500 tons per year in
1952. 931* Because Czechoslovakia requires approximately 20,000 tons
of carbon black per year, it obviously is heavily dependent on import.
to meet its needs.
g. Tire Cord.
Czechoslovakia manufactures tire cord of cotton, rayon, a ad
perlon. Rayon cord is exported to other countries of the Sino-Soviet
Bloc in addition to being used for heavy-duty tires made in Czecho-
slovakia. Cotton cord is produced at the Svit National Enterprise
at Otrokovice. 95 Rayon cord is produced in the recently built rayo
plant at Senica, Slovakia. 96 No information has been published on
production at either of these plants, although Svit was reported to
have produced about 1,300 tons of cotton cord in 1950. 97
* The First Five Year Plan of Czechoslovakia called for a production
schedule for carbon black in the leather and rubber industry of 8,086
tons in 1949, 8,618 tons in 1950, 8,947 tons in 1951, 10,1+61 tons in
1952, and 11,184 tons in 1953. 94 There is no evidence that these
goals were met.
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Rayon cord was formerly imported from the West, but when
restrictions were placed on its export by the Western European coun-
tries in 1949, Czechoslovakia began to produce rayon cord. The domes-
tic product is reported to be inferior to the imported material. 98
Czechoslovakia is also reported to be making some tire cord
out of perlon, a type of nylon. Nothing is known, however, of the rela-
tive amounts of cotton, rayon, and perlon that are used in tire cord.
On the basis of an average of 5 kg of cord per tire, Czechoslovakia's
requirements for tire cord in 1953-55 are estimated as follows:
Year
Requirements
(Metric Tons)
1953
8,750
1954
9,375
1955
10,000
Czechoslovakia has a large steel industry and is a major
producer of wire. In 1953 it was reported that Czechoslovakia not only
produced its own beadwire but also exported large quantities to East
Germany. 99 Domestic requirements for beadwire in Czechoslovakia in
1953-55 are estimated as follows:
Year
Requirements
(Metric Tons)
1953
1,969
1954
2,109
1955
2,250
i. Nontransportation Goods.
Czechoslovakia has long been a manufacturer of all types
of rubber products, including footwear, belting, hose, and industrial
and sanitary items. No. data have been published on the volume or value
of these products. In 1954 the Czechoslovak press stated that the people
had bought 69.3 million pairs of rubber shoes during the period of the
First Five Year Plan. 199 Also, the State Planning Office announced in
1954 that production of rubber work shoes in 1953 was 120 percent of
that in 1952 101 and that production in 1952 was 111 percent of that
in 1951. Based on the average annual purchases during the First Five
Year Plan and the announced annual increases in production which have
taken place, production of rubber shoes is estimated to be about
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S -E-C -R-E-T
20 million to 25 million pairs per year. There is no method of esti-
mating the volume or value of other rubber products made.
5. East Germany.
a. General.
One of the most serious shortages experienced by the Germans
in World War I was that of rubber. Consequently, Germany was a pioneer
in the development of a satisfactory synthetic substitute. Before Wor d
War II, production of synthetic rubber had increased more than 20,000
tons per year, and this amount was expanded rapidly during the war. The
principal producer was the I.G. Farben plant at Schkopau (51024' N -
11059' E), located in what is now East Germany. Heavy air raids in 1944
reduced production to a minimum, but it was increased as soon as the
fighting ceased. 102 The Soviet dismantling of industrial facilities
in 1947-48 again reduced plant capacity. When the USSR gained politic 1
control of the country, rehabilitation of the chemical and rubber plants
received high priority, and production at Schkopau has progressively
increased since 1949, as shown in Table 9.* The Second Five Year Plan
(1956-60) of East Germany calls for the expansion of production to
85,000 tons per year by 1960. 103
Before 1945 the German rubber plants were located principally
in the area which is now West Germany. With the partition of the country
the USSR was faced with the task of building up capacity to make motor
vehicle tires, belting, hose, footwear, and other rubber articles. 104
For most rubber products, capacity appears to be adequate to meet the
minimum domestic requirements. In the field of motor vehicle tires,
however, a serious shortage still exists.**
Because the plant at Schkopau was one of the most important
chemical plants in East Germany, it was among the first to be organize
into a state-owned company (Sowjetische Aktiengesellschaft -- SAG) im-
mediately after the USSR gained control of the country. On 1 January
1954 it was returned to East German control to be organized as a peoples-
owned enterprise (Volkseigener Betrieb -- VEB). 105/ Operation of the
plant is officially controlled by the Ministry for Heavy Industry, which
also supervises the production of motor vehicle tires. 106 The synthet-
ic rubber produced is distributed by two agencies: the DIA Chemie
(Deutscher Innen- and Aussenhandel Chemie -- German Domestic and Foreign
* P. 31, below.
** See III) p. 73, below.
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Trade for Chemicals), which handles priority export shipments, and the
DHZ (State Administration for Material Supply), which allocates synthetic
rubber to domestic consumers. Planning the distribution between domestic
demand and export is done at the ministerial level and is the result of
negotiations among the Ministry for Heavy Industry, domestic consumers,
and the Soviet authorities.
b. Natural Rubber.
East Germany is the only European Satellite which has shown
no interest in the domestic production of natural rubber. As far as is
known, no attempts have been made to grow any of the rubber-bearing shrubs
or vines. As a result, the country is wholly dependent on imports to meet
its requirements.
c. Synthetic Rubber.
As previously mentioned, East Germany is the chief producer
of synthetic rubber in the Sino-Soviet Bloc. The only producing plant,
located at Schkopau, uses a process developed by the Germans, based on
the conversion of acetylene 10 (obtained from calcium carbide) to buta-
diene. The latter is mixed with styrene derived from a coal-tar product,
and the mixture is polymerized. Thus the basic raw materials of the
process are calcium carbide and coal tar. In addition to these, other
organic chemicals may be used to make an oil-resistant synthetic rubber.
It is significant that manufacture of the German products is based on
the use of heavy chemicals as raw materials, in contrast to the Soviet
process which is primarily dependent on alcohol derived from foodstuffs,
such as grain and potatoes. The estimated production of synthetic rubber
in East Germany in 1946-55 and 1960 is shown in Table 9.
Table 9
Estimated Production of Synthetic Rubber
in East Germany
1946-55 and 1960
Metric. Tons
Year
Production
Year
Production
1946
23,997 -a/
1952
56,300
1947
28,460
1953
62,131 1
1948
30,700
1954
67,707 1
1949
26,500
1955
70,685 /
1950
39,008
1960
85,000 e
1951
48,853
a.
10
d
111
b .
109
e.
112
C.
110
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No statistical information has been published since 1952
on either production or plans for production of reclaimed rubber in Est
Germany. Because of the severe shortage of motor vehicle tires in Ea t
Germany, 113/ it is believed that production of reclaimed rubber has
not kept pace with other sectors of the rubber industry -- old tires
the principal raw material for making reclaimed rubber, and even old
tires are scarce in East Germany. The manufacture of reclaimed
rubber is carried out as a part of the production operations in fabri
eating plants, so reclaimed rubber is a "captive" product. Consequen~ly,
it does not appear in East German statistics as an end product.
Estimates of production are therefore based on previously published
information, the growth of the rubber industry as a whole, and the pr~bable
availability of raw materials. The estimated production of reclaimed
rubber in East Germany in 1946-55 is shown in the following tabulation*:
Production Production
Year (Metric Tons) Year (Metric Tons)
1946
1,500
1951
3,770
1947
2,000
1952
4,200
1948
2,500
1953
5,000
1949
3,000
1954
5,500
1950
3,300
1955
6,500
There are 5 plants making motor vehicle tires in East Ger
only 2 of which were in production in 1946. 116/ Because more than 9
percent of the rubber fabricating capacity before World War II was 1
in what is now West Germany, production of tires was seriously inadeq
in East Germany, not only to meet consumer demand but also to supply
for the Soviet occupying forces. In an effort to relieve this short
new equipment was added to existing tire plants as well as to other
* For further information, see Appendix A, Methodology. Estimates fir
1946-53 are taken from source 114. Estimates for 1954 are based on
nominal increase above those for 1953. Late in 1954 the authorities
in East Berlin put on a scrap rubber drive to get more old tires for
reclaiming. 115/ It is assumed that this effort would result in an
increase in available raw material and a resulting increase in production
in 1955.
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rubber fabricating plants. In spite of the rapid expansion which has
taken place, the supply situation is still serious. In official market
analyses, mention is made of vehicles being "idle due to shortage of
tires." 117/ It was estimated in November 195+ that in spite of
increased production in 1955, there would be a shortage of 1 million
tires at the end of that year. 118/ The Second Five Year Plan (1956-60)
of East Germany calls for a capital expenditure of 130 million East
German marks (DME) for the expansion of the tire industry, 119/ with a
production goal of 2.2 million to 2.8 million tires by 1960. 120
The estimated production of motor vehicle tires in the
European Satellites, by country and by plant, in 19+6-55 is shown in
Table 10.*
East Germany produces little or no natural gas and so has
developed other materials as sources of carbon black for its rubber
industry. The principal basic material is acetylene gas generated from
calcium carbide, which, when burned in a controlled supply of air,
yields a form of carbon called acetylene black, which can be used to
reinforce rubber. Although acetylene black does not produce rubber
compounds with the high resistance to abrasion which is achieved with
gas blacks such as are made in the USSR and Rumania, it nevertheless
can be used for most rubber products. Acetylene black also can be used
to make a rubber compound which is electrically conductive, a product
which has several strategic uses. For this reason, East Germany exports
to other countries of the Sino-Soviet Bloc some acetylene black in
exchange for a conventional type of black needed for tire treads. In
addition to acetylene black, East Germany makes a small amount of carbon
black by burning anthracene, a byproduct of coal tar which has limited
industrial use. The resultant product is similar to channel black made
from natural gas. Production from this source is small.
After the USSR and Rumania, East Germany is the largest
producer of carbon black in the Sino-Soviet Bloc. Production is concen-
trated in three plants. The estimated production of carbon black in
East Germany, by plant, in 1950-55 is shown in Table ll.**
Table 10 follows on P- 34.
Table 11 follows on p. 36. (Text continued on p. 37.)
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Estimated Production of Motor Vehicle Tires in the European Satellites
by Country and by Plant a/*
1946-55
Location
plant
1946
1.947
1948
1949
1950
1951 1952
1953
1954
1955
Bulgaria
Sofia
Georgi Dimitrov
5.0
8.0
12.5
26.9
42.7
55.0 60.0
65.8
75.0 J
87.0 J
Czechoslovakia
Bratislava/Petrza
lka Matador
10.0
30.0
20.0
Gottwaldov
Svit/Rudy Rijen
210.0
416.0
603.0
720.0
800.0
850.0 870.0
900.0
945.0
1,000.0
Nachod
Rubena
50.0
150.0
180.0
210.0
300.0
340.0 360.0
390.0
405.0
425.0
Prague
Slovakian National
Revolution
40.0
116.0
150.0
220.0
280.0
360.0 400.0
410.0
450.0
475.0
Puchov
Matador
10.0
20.0 30.0
50.0
75.0
100.0
Total
310.0
17 2.0
953.0
1,150.0
1,390.0
1,570.0 1,66o.o
1,750.0
1,875.0
2,000.0
East Germany
Berlin/Schmoeckwitz Mueller
1.5
3.0
10.2
25.0
64.0
91.0 118.5
120.0
150.0
165.0
Heidenau VEB Reifenwerk
0
0
4.0
15.0
49.0
55.0 50.0
30.0
30.0
30.0
Ketchendorf VEB Deka
22.0
32.0
72.0
147.0
200.0
345.0 400.0
530.0
600.o
658.2
Klein Wittenberg VEB Elbe
0.8
6.0
18.0
20.0
Riesa VEB Riesa
4.0
17.8
30.0
81.0
120.0 203.0
230.0
341.7
352.0
23-5
.0
104.0
217.0
4.0
611.0 772.3
916.o
1,139.7
1,225.2
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S-E-C-R-E-T
Estimated Production of Motor Vehicle Tires in the European Satellites
by Country and by Plant 1
1946-55
(Continued)
Location
Plant
194+6
191+7
19+8
19+9
1950
1951
1952
1
953
1954
1955
Hungary
Budapest
Poland
Magyar
72.0
105.5
120.0
160.0
175.0
180.0
195.0 &/
Bebica
Stomil
Poznan
Stcmil
172.0
215.0
250.0
310.0
360.0
420.0
425.0
26.0
141.0
L&. 0
215.0
25o.0
310-o
360.0 /
420.0
425.0
Baicoi
Banloc
35.0
62.0
85.0
90.0
95.0
105.0
125.0
135.0
150.0
Brasov
Cauciuc Brasov
5.0
6.0
10.0
15.0
15.0
20.0
25.0
35.0
45.0
20.0
40.0
68.0
95.0
l
0
110
0
12
?
.
5.0
150.0
170.0 l/
195.0
414.5
925.0
1,333.5
1,732.9
2,252.2
2
716.0
3
087
3
41
8
3
,
,
.
5.
,
3,859.7
4,054.6
a. Figures are rounded to the nearest hundred. Estimates for 1946-52 are taken from source 121 .
e. 12
d
e. ff
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S-E-C -R-E-T
Table 11
Estimated Production of Carbon Black in East Germany, by Plant
1950-55
Location
1950
1951
1952
1953
1954
195 Plan
400 a/
400
400
400
400
350
600
900
1,200
2,400 b/
2,400
2,500 C/
14,195 d/
14,100
14,000
12,500
15,600
16,035 e/
Blankenburg Hydrocarbon Blankenburg
Oranienburg Russwerk Oranienburg
Stickstoffwerk Piesteritz Piesteritz
Total 15,195
a. 131/
b. 132/
C. 133/
d. 13+/
e. 135/
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0
15, 4OO 15,600 15,30
18,4oo 18,885
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 Approved For Release 1999/09/02 : CIA-RDP79-01093AO01200040009-3
g. Tire Cord.
East Germany produces large quantities of both rayon and
perlon but has no domestic production of cotton. Consequently, all
tires produced in East Germany are made with synthetic fiber cord.
Analysis of yearly plans shows that ample supplies of rayon and
caprolactum, the raw material for perlon, are available. Actual produc-
tion of rayon tire cord in 1954 was 4,398 tons, and planned production of
perlon cord for the same year was 542 tons. 136/ Planned production for
1955 was. 332 tons of perlon cord and 4,630 tons of rayon cord. 137
Analyses indicate that tires for passenger cars comprise about
50 percent of the total production of motor vehicle tires in East Germany.
In estimating consumption of tire cord in East Germany, it therefore can
be assumed that the average tire will need 4 kg of cord, based on an
average of 3. kg of cord for a passenger-car tire and 5 kg for a truck tire.
The estimated consumption of tire cord in East Germany in 1953-55 is. shown
in the following tabulation:
Year
Consumption
(Metric Tons)
1953
3,440
1954
4,560
1955
4,600
East Germany produces about 50 percent of its requirements
for beadwire and is dependent on imports for the remaining 50 percent. 138/
Available information indicates that there is an over-all shortage of
steel wire in East Germany. 139/ Based on the number of tires produced, an
estimate of the steel requirements of the rubber industry in East Germany
in 1953-55 is shown in the following tabulation:
Year
Requirements
(Metric Tons)
1953
990
1954
1,280
1955
1,460
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i. Nontransportation Goods.
East Germany produces a wide variety of nontranspor ation
consumer goods, such as footwear, conveyor belts, rubberized fabrics,
and rainwear. Except for footwear, few statistics are availabl on
the volume of these products. Production of conveyor belts was
reported to be 1.5 million square meters in 1954, with a planne pro-
duction of 2.4 million square meters in 1960. 140/ Most of the e
conveyor belts are exported to other countries of the Sino-Sovi t Bloc.
Production of footwear has increased gradually since
but production is apparently considerably below demand. Statist
are not entirely satisfactory since "footwear, boots, overshoes,
overboots" appear with disconcerting duplication. The estimated
duction of footwear in East Germany in 1946-55 is shown in Table
Estimated Production of Footwear in East Germany
1946-55
1946 N.A.
1947 N.A.
1948 1,469.6 a/
1949 850 (planned) b
1950 737.94 c/
x.,200 planned)
1,000, planned) e
1,200 planned) f/
2,400 g/
2,484 W
1951
1952
1953
1954
1955
b. 1T+2/ e. 1T+5/ h. 1
c . 17+3/ f . '"/
1946,
ics
and
pro-
12.
The demand for rubber boots and shoes in East German has
been estimated to be 9 million pairs per year. 149/ It seems pr bable
that production is limited somewhat by both a shortage of equipment
and a lack of rubber.
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6. Hungary.
Before World War II, production of rubber products in
Hungary re resented only about 1.2 percent of its industrial produc-
tion. 1507 Since the USSR gained control of Hungary, the rubber
industry has been expanded at about the same rate as other industries.
The plants were in private hands before the war, but they were nation-
alized in December 1949 and placed under the control of the Main Admin-
istration for the Rubber Industry. The First Five Year Plan of Hungary
(1950-54) called for expansion of the industry by 154 percent between
1949 and 1954. Actual production in 1954 was announced by the Minister
of the Chemical Industry as 300 percent of that in 1949. 151/ A press
statement mentions an increase of 188.3 percent. 152/
b. Natural Rubber.
Hungary is dependent on imports for its supplies of natural
rubber. In 1938, imports were valued at $56o,ooo, 153 J and in 1947
the value was $646,000. 154/ In an effort to reduce this burden of
foreign exchange, Hungarian planners proposed to grow kok-saghyz, using
seed supplies under the Soviet-Hungarian trade agreement of 1 August
1949. Much publicity was given to the program in 1951, with promises
of large financial returns to be realized from growing kok-saghyz. The
First Five Year Plan called for 5,000 acres to be under cultivation by
1954. Nothing has been published on the results obtained from this
grandiose scheme, and it is doubtful if there is any significant pro-
duction today.
c. Synthetic Rubber.
During World War II the Germans started the construction of
a synthetic rubber plant in Hungary, which was to be the largest
of its kind outside of Germany. The plant never got into production,
and the Hungarians have since converted the plant to other uses.
As a part of the development of a petrochemical industry, the
USSR planned to produce synthetic rubber which used natural gas as a
raw material. A joint Hungarian-Rumanian company backed by the USSR
was formed for this purpose, and construction was reported to have
started on a plant located at Szeged (46015' N - 20009' E), close to
the Hungarian-Rumanian border. Planned production for 1956 was said
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to be 23,000 tons.. 155/ It is believed that construction of this
plant is lagging because parts of it are only now reported to be under
construction. A later report states that production will start dur g
the Second Five Year Plan of Hungary (1956-60). 156
d. Reclaimed Rubber.
Only one plant reclaims rubber in Hungary, and because t
consumes this material in its own operations, no production statistics
are available. Because of the severe shortage of tires that exists
in Hungary 157 J and the consequent use of tires until they are com-
pletely worn out, it is doubtful if the necessary raw material is
available for an extensive rubber-reclaiming industry. The estimat d
production of reclaimed rubber in Hungary in 1946-55 is shown in
Table 13.
Estimated Production of Reclaimed Rubber
in Hungary /
1946-55
Year
Production Year
Production
1946
500
1951
3,000
1947
goo
1952
N.A.
1948
1,900
1953
5,200
1949
2,200
1954
5,500
1950
N.A.
1955
5,800
a. Estimates for 19~T-53 are taken from
source 158/. Those for 1954 and 1955 are
based on an expansion of total rubber con-
sumption in Hungary.
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e. Transportation Goods.
There is only one manufacturer of motor vehicle tires in
Hungary, the Elsoe Magyar Ruggyantaarugyar Rubber Plant located in
Budapest (47030' N - 19005' E). 159 It was established before
World War II as a Hungarian subsidiary of the Dunlop Rubber Company
of England and was considered to be one of the finest tire plants in
Europe. The plant was seized by the USSR and is operated as a
state-owned enterprise. The importance which is attached to this was
indicated by the report that in 1949 the rubber industry of Hungary
would require 30,000 tons of coal as fuel, of which 90 percent would be
assigned to this plant. 160 The plant also makes a wide variety
of other consumer goods and was reported to have 4,000 employees in
April 1955. 161/ The estimated production of motor vehicle tires in
Hungary in 19V-55 is shown in Table 14.
Table 14
Estimated Production of Motor Vehicle Tires
in Hungary a/
1946-55
Thousand Units
Year
Production
Year
Production
1946
30
1951
120
1947
48
1952
160
1948
55
1953
175
1949
72
1954 (Plan)
180
1950
105
1955
195 b
a. 162/
b. 1T3'
f. Carbon Black.
Since the end of World War II, Hungary has produced a
small amount of carbon black in conjunction with its natural gas and
petroleum industries. 164/ A small channel-type plant was built at
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Lispesze tadorjan (46032' N - 16?42' E), which was reported to have
a small capacity and to be very inefficient. 165 A modern plant
wasoscheduled to be built in 1952 near the city of Nagykanizsa
(46027' - 16?59' E), which was planned to satisfy the domestic demand
for carb n black and provide some black for export. 166/ No published
reports have been received which would indicate the completion of this
plant or any exports of carbon black by Hungary. For these reasons,
it seems probable that Hungary is still dependent on imports for its
major requirements for carbon black. Production at the Lispeszentad rjan
plant, from descriptions of the facilities, is estimated to be 1,000
tons per ear, compared with an estimated demand of 2,000 to 3,000
tons per ear.
Tire Cord.
Although both rayon and cotton cord are consumed in Hungary,
the domestic production of rayon is of such poor quality as to preclude
its use i tires. 167/ For this reason, rayon cord is imported. In
the third quarter of 1951, Hungary purchased 30 tons of rayon cord from
one firm n Milan. 168 It was reported that early in 1954 Hungary was
purchasin approximately 100 tons of rayon cord per month from the Enka
Company o the UK. 169 No shipments of perlon or nylon cord into
Hungary have been reported, nor is there any known domestic producti
of these terials. Hungary's requirements for tire cord in 1953-55,
based on is estimated production of tires, is shown in the following
tabulatio :
Requirements
Year (Metric Tons)
1953 875
1954 goo
1955 975
Hungary has a domestic production of steel wire adequate
to meet t requirements of its rubber industry. 170 Unlike the USSR,
Hungary uses a copper-coated wire for making tire Bads. Consumption
of beadwire in Hungary in 1953-55 is shown in the following tabulatio :
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Consumption
Year (Metric Tons)
1953 200
1954 205
1955 220
i. Nontransportation Goods.
Motor vehicle. tires are estimated to account for approxi-
mately one-half of the rubber consumption in Hungary, other products
being footwear and rubber soles, industrial goods, and sanitary
articles. Only fragmentary information is available on the production
of individual items. Estimating production of rubber footwear is
difficult because Hungarian statistics include leather sandals with
rubber soles in the category of "rubber footwear. One report in 1950
stated that production of rubber shoes in 1949 was 360,000 pairs,
compared with 250,000 pairs in 1948. 171/ Statements by government
officials indicate that the total production of all types of rubber
footwear in 1949 was about 1.36 million pairs. The First Five Year
Plan called for an increase of 81 percent in 1954 above the level in
1949, and a major expansion of the footwear industry was undertaken
during 1952 and 1953. This expansion resulted in a sharp increase
in the production of all types of footwear. Government statistics
during the First Five Year Plan have not differentiated between rubber
and leather footwear; hence the figures in Table 15,* showing the
estimated production of rubber footwear in Hungary in 1948-55, have
been developed from the announced production of all types of footwear,
assuming the same proportion of rubber shoes that prevailed in 1949.
Production of rubber footwear in 1955 was reported to be 5.9 percent
above that in 1954. 172
The First Five Year Plan also called for an increase in pro-
duction of 3,600 tons of industrial rubber goods in 1954 above that in
1949. 173
7. Poland.
a. General.
Before World War II, Poland had a relatively large rubber
industry with about 20 plants employing over 15,000 workers who
* Table 15 follows on p. 44-
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Table 15
Estimated Production of Rubber Footwear
in Hungary
1948-55
Year
Production Year
Production
1948
1.25
1952
7.0
1949
1.36
1953
6.6
1950
2.5
1954
7.9
1951
6.o
1955
8.2
manufactured a wide variety of products. 174 By 1945 these plants
were operating at only about 30 percent of capacity because of t
shortage of raw materials. The postwar Three Year Plan (1947_49) of
Poland called for the restoration of the industry to 133 percent
of the prewar level by 1949, and great expansion was planned for the
Six Year Plan (1950-55) of Poland. Production of tires was to in rease
fourfold, and production of footwear was to reach 10 million pair
by 1955. No specific announcements have been published on the
accomplishment of these objectives. As of April 1956 the current
Five Year Plan (1956-60) had not been published in detail, but it is
known to include further expansion of the rubber fabricating industry
as well as the completion of a synthetic rubber plant by 1960. Mean-
while, the industry continues to operate with imported raw materials
and is able to meet domestic requirements for rubber products.
b. Natural Rubber.
Poland has made some postwar attempts to grow kok-sag yz,
but no publicity has been given to the project since mid-1951. 17
A processing plant was included in the Six Year Plan, but it is
doubtful if this plant was built; no mention has been made of it in
the Polish press. It seems probable that the plan to grow kok-sa hyz
has been abandoned.
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c. Synthetic Rubber.
Just before World War II the IG Farben Company built a
plant at Debica (500031 N - 21025' E) to produce synthetic rubber.
This plant was not in operation at the end of the war, and the equip-
ment was shipped to the USSR. Plans for the reestablishment of the
plant were presented in the Six Year Plan 176 with a projected
production of 9,000 tons in 1953 and a goal of 13,000 tons in 1955. 177
Although several announcements have appeared concerning the success
of the rubber products industry of Poland, no publicity has been
given to the production of synthetic rubber. It is therefore believed
that accomplishments to date have been far below the announced goals.
In 1951 the Polish government announced the projected building
of another synthetic rubber plant, at Oswiecim (55?02' N ;i 19?1+' E),
as a part of a large chemical combine which included extensive
facilities for making calcium carbide, a raw material necessary for
the German process of manufacturing rubber. 178 According to intel-
ligence reports, machinery for the plant was imported from East
Germany early in 1955, 179/ although the Polish press stated that
two-thirds of the equipment was imported from the USSR and that the
remaining one-third was to be made in Poland. 180 The plant is
planned to be in operation by 1958. 181
Another small plant, located at Saarau (500571 N - 16?30' E),
was built just before World War II to make "thiokol" rubber, a special
type of rubber which is oil-resistant but of slight value for general-
purpose use. This plant reportedly had an initial capacity of 700
tons per year. 182 It was taken over by the government in 19+6 and
has operated intermittently since that time. Production apparently
is limited by the difficulty of obtaining the special raw materials
needed for the operation of the plant. The plant was not in production
in September 1955. 183
Although a previous report L 84J estimates of pro-
duction, subsequent evidence seems to indicate that production of
synthetic rubber in Poland is still limited to experimental or pilot-
plant quantities, with total production being less than 2,000 tons per
year. The most recent document received indicates that there will be
no commercial production before 1958, when it is expected that 6,000
tons will be produced. 185 This figure is expected to rise to
2+,000 by 1960. This information was given at a meeting held in
Berlin, 18-25 May 1956, attended by the Soviet members of CEMA, and
is believed to be based on reality rather than on propaganda.
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d. Reclaimed Rubber.
The Three Year Plan of Poland included the erection of a plant
for reclaiming rubber, which would have a capacity of 1,500 tons r
year. It is doubtful if this capacity was realized.
Since World War II a second plant for reclaiming rubber has
been built at Kolo (510261 N - 190491 E), but it was reportedly
completely destroyed by fire in 1954 and had not been rebuilt a year
later. 186/ In addition to these 2 plants, at least 2 of the fabri-
cating plants located at Krakow (500051 N - 19055' E) and Lodz
(51045' N - 190281 E) reclaim old rubber, using the reclaimed rubb..r
in their finished products. 187/ The estimated production of re-
claimed rubber in Poland in 19x6-55 is shown in Table 16.
Table 16
Estimated Production of Reclaimed Rubber
in Poland a/
1946-55-
Metric Tons
1946
500
1951 3,000
1947
500
1952 4,500
1948
500
1953 4,500
1949
1,000
1954 5,000
1950
2,800
1955 5,000
a. 1 . The range of error is plus or
minus 25 percent.
e. Transportation Goods.
Two of the 3 plants producing motor vehicle tires in Pola were
established with the aid of US capital. The Stomil plant, locate at
Poznan (52?25' N - 16?581 E), started making tires in 1929. 189 It was
seized by the Germans in World War II and has been expanded several
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times since 1945. In 1948 the plant was scheduled to produce 4,768
tons of products of all types, and in 1952 it reported the production
of 11,000 tons of tires. 190 The plant was reported to have pro-
duced 8,500 tires in December 1954, which would be equivalent to
about 100,000 tires per year.;191 The Stomil Tire Plant No. 2, located
at Debica, also built with US assistance, began production in 1939. It
was designed to make 1,200 tires per day but never reached this pro-
duction. 192 It was completely demolished during World War.II, was
rebuilt with machinery from Germany after 1945, and began production
again in 1949. 193/ As a part of the expansion to be carried out
under the Six Year Plan, the plant is being greatly enlarged with
machinery from East Germany. 194/ Upon completion in 1958, the
Stomil Tire Plant No. 2 is planned to be "the largest rubber plant in
Europe." 195/
The third motor vehicle tire plant, located at Plock
(520331 N - 19?42' E), has been under construction for several years
and was to be completed in 1955. 196 No information has been
published to indicate that production had started or what volume was
being produced. The estimated production of motor vehicle tires in
Poland in 1946-55 is shown in Table 17.*
f. Carbon Black.
Two Polish plants produce carbon black from natural gas.
These plants were built under the supervision of the USSR after
World War II and were reported in 1950 to be producing a total of
about 6,000 tons per year. 197/ Another carbon black plant, located at
Gleiwitz (50?17' N - 18?40`'E7, was built by the Germans before World
War II. This plant produced carbon black by burning coal-tar pro-
ducts -- anthracene and naphthalene -- and had a rated capacity of
1,500 tons per month. It was dismantled after the war, and the
equipment was removed to the USSR. 198 Later the plant was partially
restored and was reported to have started production in May 1950.
Reported capacity is about 3,000 tons per year. 199 Because Poland's
requirements are considerably below the indicated annual production
of 9,000 tons, it is able to export carbon black to other European
Satellites.
* Table 17 follows on p. 48.
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Table 17
Estimated Production of Motor Vehicle Tires
in Poland a/
1946-55
Year Production Year Production
1946 26
1951 250
1947 78
1952 310
1948 141
1953 360
1949 172.
1954 420
1950 215
1955 425
a. As no official announcements have ap-
peared concerning the accomplishment of the
Six Year Plan goal for production of tires,
estimates are necessarily based on plant
studies and probable rates of increase.
The range of error is.plus or minus 10 per-
cent. Estimates for 1946-54 are taken from
source 200/.
b. 201
g. Tire Cord.
Poland has facilities for producing cotton, rayon, and pert
(called "steelon" in Poland) tire cord. In 1947 it was reported that
cotton cord was being used in conjunction with rayon breaker strips, 202
a practice followed in the US when rayon was priced too high to permit
its exclusive use in motor vehicle tires. By 1951 it was reported at
rayon cord was being used extensively for tires. 203 The Debica tire
plant was reported to be planning the production of tubeless tires in
1957 and by 1958 to be making tires with steelon cord. 204 Based Z
Poland's estimated production of tires, consumption of tire cord in
1953-55 is shown in the following tabulation:
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Consumption
Year (Metric Tons)
1953 1,800
1954 2,100
1955 2,310
h. Beadwire.
Poland's requirements for beadwire represent less than
1 percent of its production of steel wire. In 1950 it was reported
that approximately 55,000 tons of wire less than 8 millimeters in
diameter were produced at the Kosciuszko Iron and Steel Works. in
Chorzow. 205 The estimated consumption of steel in production of.
beadwire in Poland in 1953-55 is shown in the following tabulation:
Consumption
Year (Metric Tons)
1953 405
1954 472
1955 520
i. Nontransportation Goods.
Before World War II the rubber industry of Poland, which
employed about 15,000 workers, was characterized by an emphasis on
production of footwear, which was said to account for 64 percent of
the production of the industry, in contrast to only 16 percent for
motor vehicle tires. In the worldwide industry, footwear amounts to
only 8.9 percent and tires, 71.2 percent. Industrial, sanitary, and
other consumer goods constituted less than 20 percent of production in
Poland. In the postwar period, as Poland has become more highly
industrialized, the rubber industry has had to realign its production
to meet the shift in demand. By March 1955, tires had risen to 28.2
percent of the industry's production, and footwear had decreased to
23 percent. 206/ The current Five Year Plan calls for further
increases in production of tires and technical goods and less pro-
duction of footwear.
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In effecting this change the Polish planners have had to
make the most efficient use of the small supply of experienced
personnel and to establish training schools for additional worker 3.
They have also received technical assistance from Soviet experts n
an effort to improve production methods and the quality of pro-
duct. 207/ They plan to increase greatly the use of synthetic ru ber,
which in 1955 accounted for only 35 percent of the new rubber use
in Poland. 208/
For nontransportation goods the only specific figures
available are those for rubber footwear. The Six Year Plan called
for the production of 16.4 million pairs of rubber shoes in 1955,
This goal was said to be 163.9 percent above production in 1949. In
1955 it was reported that the goal for production of footwear
would be exceeded by 30.8 percent. 209 An early report stated t at
production in 1949 was 149 percent above that in 1948. The esti-
mated production of footwear in Poland in 1946-55 is shown in Tab e 18.
Estimated Production of Footwear in Poland
1946-55
Year Production Year Production
1946 N.A.
1947 N.A.
1948 4.2
1949 6.2
1950 8.0
1951 9.7
1952 13.8
1953 16.4
1954 18.3
1955 21.4
8. Rumania.
a. General.
Before World War II the rubber industry of Rumania wa very
small. Except for carbon black, the necessary raw materials were im-
ported. It was estimated that in 1933, rubber constituted one-th d
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of the value of all imports into Rumania. 210 Production was
confined largely to footwear, raincoats, and other consumer goods.
The first plant for making motor vehicle tires was established in
1938 with the help of a US manufacturer. 211 During the war,
Germany organized another company to make tires, thereby increasing
its war supplies. Since the USSR assumed economic control of
Rumania, efforts have been made to expand the rubber industry to
meet domestic requirements, which were the basis for the planned
expansion during the First Five Year Plan of Rumania (1951-55). The
Plan called for 3 billion lei, the equivalent of $20 million at the
time the Plan was formulated, to be invested in the industry during
1951, 1952, and 1953. 212/
The production of synthetic rubber is the responsibility
of the Ministry of the Chemical Industry. The manufacture of
rubber products is controlled by the Rubber Center of the General
Directorate of Leather and Rubber, a part of the Ministry of Light
Industry. 213 Worn rubber products, such as old tires, are collected
by the Directorate of Collection and Acquisition for conversion
into reclaimed rubber. 2L4/ The Ministry of Industry and Commerce
controls the distribution and sale of tires, which are strictly
rationed. 215/ The purchase of the necessary raw materials, which
are imported, is handled by Chinimport, and the import of finished
rubber products is handled by Technoimport.
b. Natural Rubber.
In an effort to reduce import requirements for natural
rubber, Rumania has undertaken the production of rubber from kok-
saghyz. Under the terms of the Soviet-Rumanian Trade Agreement
of 20 February 1947, the USSR was to supply Rumania with 20 kg of
kok-saghyz seed 216/ from which 1,700 to 1,800 tons of rubber
were reported produced in 1949. 217/ This production seems highly
improbable, because the amount of seed specified would be sufficient
to plant only about 10 hectares, which in turn would produce a maxi-
mum of 3 tons of rubber. 218/ There have been no later reports of
production, and although the industry may still be in operation
on an experimental basis, it is doubtful if it is making a,
significant contribution to Rumania's rubber supply. It is probable
that the program of kok-saghyz cultivation has been abandoned because
of its slight potentialities.
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Rumania has been interested in producing synthetic rubber as
a part of its plans for the development of a petrochemical industry.
Although numerous references have appeared concerning production of
synthetic rubber, it seems likely that such production is only on
an experimental scale. The most reliable` report describes a plant in
Margina (450521 N - 22017' E), which produced 32.8 tons of synthetic
rubber in November 1952 and planned to produce 75 tons in December
1952. 219 Another plant is reported to be located in Ploesti, but
no details of its capacity are available. 220 On the other hand, a
press report of July 1955 stated that "more attention must be given
to the scientific problems connected with the production of synthetic
rubber," 221/ a statement which would indicate that the industry is
not in commercial production. No mention of synthetic rubber was
made in the First Five Year Plan, but the Second Five Year Plan of
Rumania (1956-60) calls for the establishment of a synthetic rubber
industry to increase production at a rate of 5,000 tons per year,
with production reaching 25,000 tons by 1960. 222/ On the basis of
the available information, it is believed that production of
synthetic rubber in Rumania is still on an experimental basis and
probably is less than 1,000 tons per year.
Rumania has been interested for some time in the production
of reclaimed rubber. As previously mentioned, the collection of worn
rubber products is the responsibility of a government agency, and
the motor vehicle tire plant at Baicoi (450031 N - 250471 E) has been
reclaiming rubber as a part of its operations. The First Five Year
Plan provided 900 million lei (equivalent to about $6 million in
1950) for the erection of a rubber combine at Jilava (440191 N - 260o6
south of Bucharest, which would reclaim rubber and produce footwear,
belting, hose, and other technical articles. The reclaiming equipment
(reportedly outdated-machinery) was to come from the USSR, and the
plant was to be completed in 1953. 223/ The reported capacity of 10,0
tons per month is obviously an error, because Rumania's requirements
for reclaimed rubber would be less than 2 percent of this amount and
because it would not have raw materials available to produce such an
amount. A radio report of 12 December 1955 reported that this plant
was "nearing completion." 224 On the basis of the consumption of
new rubber in Rumania, it is estimated that the production of re-
claimed rubber would not exceed 150 tons per month, even when the new
plant is in operation.
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e. Transportation Goods.
Rumania has two plants producing motor vehicle tires. The
first plant, built in 1938 with the aid of US capital, is located in
Baicoi. 225 It was called the Banloc Rubber Factory until 1955,
when the name was changed to the Victory Chemical Plant. ~22?h6j Its
reported capacity is 500 tires per day, but because of a ortage of
raw materials, production is probably much less than this figure.
The other plant is the Rubber Products Factory located at Orasu/Stalin
(45?38' N - 25?34' E), which was built by the Germans in 1944 to
produce tires for military vehicles. In 1950 the capacity of this
plant was reported to be 275 to 300 tires per day, 227/ but actual
production probably is somewhat less than this figure.
The estimated production of motor vehicle tires in Rumania
in 1946-55 is shown in Table 19.
Table 19
Estimated Production of Motor Vehicle Tires
in Rumania a/
1946-55
Year Production Year Production
1946 20
1947 40
1948 68
1949 95
1950 105
1951 110
1952 125
1953 150
1954 170
1955 195
a. Estimates for 1946-52 and 1954-55 are
taken from source 228/.
b. 229/
f. Carbon Black.
Rumania has long been a producer of carbon black, its production
being closely associated with the petroleum and natural gas industries.
Production in 1938 was less than 1,000 tons, and carbon black was
used largely as pigment for paints, inks, and the like. 230 Rumania
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had 4 small channel-type plants located. in the natural gas region, bu
because production decreased sharply in 1944 and 1945, 2 of these pla is
are believed to have been damaged during World War II. It is believe ,
however, that these plants were rebuilt. By 1947, four plants were
reported to be in operation. These plants had a total annual capacity
of about 2,000 tons. 231/ Between 1948 and 1952 the USSR instigated
the construction of seven modern furnace-type plants to use the large
reserves of natural gas. Equipment for these plants, located at
Prostea-Mare (46?07' N -24 18' E), was reported to have been sent t
Rumania by the USSR. 232/ Each plant is estimated to have an annual
capacity of 1,000 tons. Another facility for making carbon black,
which went into production in 1952, has been reported at Satu-Mare
(47?i8' N - 22?53' E) 233/ and is believed to produce about 6,000
tons per year.* There have been no specific references to increased
capacity in the carbon black industry of Rumania during the past
2 years; hence it is believed that production has been stabilized at
about 38,000 tons per year. Because carbon black plants normally
operate at maximum capacity and on a continuous basis, any appreci-
able increase in production can be accomplished only by the construe
tion of additional facilities.
g. Tire Cord.
Rumania produces its domestic requirements for cotton tire
cord and in 1950 was reported to be experimenting with the productio
of rayon cord. 235/ These attempts apparently were not entirely
successful. In 1952 an official of Romanoexport was attempting to
purchase as much as 200 tons of rayon tire cord per year. 236 Ther
have been no recent reports of production of rayon cord in Rumania.
Rumania's requirements for tire cord in 1953-55, based on its esti-
mated tire production, are shown in the following tabulation:
Requirements
Year (Metric Tons)
1953 750
1954 850
1955 975
Production in 1949 was reported to have been 22,086 tons. 234
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Rumania is a major producer of steel wire. Its two steel
producing plants have a combined annual production of more than
130,000 tons, and both plants have facilities for drawing high-carbon
steel wire. 237/ As can be seen from the following estimates, con-
sumption of steel wire by the rubber industry for beadwire consti-
tutes a fraction of 1 percent of domestic production. The consumption
of steel wire for beadwire in Rumania in 1953-55 is shown in the
following tabulation:
Consumption
Year. (Metric Tons)
1953 169
195+ 190
1955 220
i. Nontransportation Goods.
In addition to the 2 tire plants mentioned, Rumania has
4 plants which produce industrial goods and 1 plant which produces
sanitary and surgical items. 238/ Also the largest shoe factory in
Rumania was to be supplied under the First Five Year Plan with 200
million lei ($ 1.33 million) for equipment to make rubber soles. 239/
There is little information available on actual production of foot-
wear. The Rumanian Chemical Works Rubber Factory in Bucharest was
scheduled to produce 350,000 pairs of rubber shoes in 1949, 240/ and
the First Five Year Plan called for national production of 2.7 million
pairs in 1955. This figure was raised to 4 million on 22 August
1953. 241 There have been no announcements as to the success of
the industry in meeting either of these goals.
9. Communist China.
Before the Japanese invasion of China in the late 1930's,
the Chinese rubber industry was primarily engaged in the production of
footwear and of tires for bicycles, jinrickshas, and carts. Raw
materials, except cotton fabric, were imported. Numerous small fac-
tories, each with a few employees using primitive methods, were
responsible for most of the production. A few larger plants, most
of which were located in the Shanghai area, used more modern methods.
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The demand for sanitary goods, motor vehicle tires, and hose was
small, and investment in the machinery needed to make these items
was not warranted. For this reason, such rubber products were im-
ported.
With the Japanese invasion the pattern of the rubber
industry of China changed. The invaders built a large modern plant
and equipped other plants with Japanese machinery to supply their
military needs. 242 These plants were organized as branches of
Japanese rubber companies. Some of the small handcraft plants were
allowed to continue operations on a restricted basis. No detailed
information on the industry during the Japanese occupation is
available, but it is known that small supplies of rubber and of
other raw materials confined production to an austerity basis.
After World War II, production of rubber was one of three
activities in light industry which enjoyed relative prosperity.
(The other two were textiles and flour milling.) The small plants
were retained by their owners, whereas the large plants formerly
operated by the Japanese were taken over by the Chinese Nationalists.
Limited availability of foreign exchange hampered the import of raw
materials and curtailed production. Nevertheless, by 1948 it was
estimated that the rubber industry of Communist China had the
following annual capacity 243/:
Motor vehicle tires (thousand units)
Motor vehicle tubes (thousand units)
Bicycle, jinricksha, and cart tires
Bicycle, jinricksha, and cart tubes
Shoes (million pairs)
Production
220
220
(million units)
4.05
(million units)
4.45
90
to 100
When the Chinese Communists came into power in 1949, the
rubber industry practically ceased operations because of a temporary
shortage'of raw materials, 244 the result of the confusion in Peiping
and the more pressing problems of the new rulers. By 1950, some
order began to appear, and restoration of the industry was begun.
The plants were placed under the Ministry of Light Industry. Direct
supervision is maintained through regional bureaus which control
all of the industrial facilities in their respective administra-
tive district. Manufacture of rubber products appears to have been
one of the activities selected by the Chinese Communists to be
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nationalized. Because the Chinese Communists controlled imports of raw
materials, they were able gradually to eliminate the smaller and less
efficient manufacturers. Larger plants were seized for taxes or
reorganized into joint state-private enterprises. By the end of 1955,
private enterprise had almost ceased to exist in the principal centers
of rubber production. 245/
The rubber industry of Communist China is plagued with serious
problems which it is attempting to correct. One of these problems
concerns the quality of product. Many reports are received indicating
an average service life for motor vehicle tires of 3,000 to 4,000
km, 246/ and footwear lasts less than 2 months. At an annual techni-
cal committee meeting held in Peiping during 27 November - 4 December
1954, a resolution was passed to increase the life of tires to 25,000
to 30,000 km, to extend the life of rubber shoes by 30 days, 247 and
to reduce the price of rubber shoes by 25 percent. In 1953, shoes
were priced at $18 to $24 per dozen pairs, wholesale. At the same
time, truck tires were advertised at the equivalent of about $158,
and a bicycle tire and inner tube cost about $70. By contrast, workers
in the principal rubber plant in Tientsin were paid from $12.80 to
$25.60 per month, the latter being barely a subsistence level for un-
married workers. 248
b. Natural Rubber.
For years the Chinese have attempted to raise rubber trees on
Hainan Island. A small amount of rubber was being produced before
World War II. The plantations, however, suffered considerable damage
during the Japanese occupation. Reports vary in detail as to the
situation in 1950, when the Chinese Communists gained control of the
area. There probably were about 600 plantations, each of which pro-
duced an average of about 1 ton of rubber per year. 249 The Chinese
Communists announced an ambitious program for planting about 6 million
additional trees, which would ultimately yield about 15,000 tons of
rubber. 250/ Some of these trees were to be planted on the Luichow
Peninsula. Technicians were sent to the area, and workers were re-
cruited from the cities to clear the land and plant the seedlings
imported from Burma and India. 251/ Workers were reported to receive
the equivalent of $14 to $17 per month, with $6.50 deducted for 2 meals
per day. 252 After 2 years of effort, apparently it was realized that
the project was doomed to failure. The soil on the mainland was poor,
and the drafted labor used proved inadequate for the job. Returnees in
1954 and 1955 reported that most of the trees had died and that the
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workers were diverted to other tasks. 253/ The most recent announce-
ments by the Chinese Communists have listed several projects for the
development of Hainan Island, but no mention has been made of growing
rubber. A fundamental reason for the failure of the program probab y
is the fact that the area is too far north; the practical growing
area for rubber is considered to be within 10 degrees of the equato .
It is estimated that production on Hainan Island is still
less than 1,000 tons per year, with little prospect that this figur
will increase materially above 1,500 before 1960.
c. Synthetic Rubber.
The only attempt to produce synthetic rubber in China was de
by the Japanese-owned Manchurian Synthetic Rubber Company in 19+2-4+ ,
but production never exceeded experimental quantities. 254/ The eq ip-
ment from the plant, located in Kirin, was shipped north by the Chi ese
Communists, and the facilities have not been restored. The Ch nese
Communists have shown an interest in building a plant and may, with the
help of Soviet technicians, realize this ambition, but. it is doubt 1
if the plant could be built and in operation before 1960. At present,
requirements for synthetic rubber must be met by imports.
For many years, China has imported large numbers of old tires
for processing into reclaimed rubber. The processing was carried out
in a few large plants making consumer goods, and statistics on pro-
duction have never been published. Since 1951 the Chinese Communists
have built two plants specifically designed to reclaim rubber. 256/
One plant built in Shanghai was scheduled to go into production in
January 1955 with a capacity of processing 100,000 old tires per ye
(equivalent to about 750 tons of reclaimed rubber). 257/ Another
plant built in Mukden (Shen-yang) was reported to have 90 percent o
its machinery installed in December 1954 .and was scheduled to start
operating in 1955. No information was given on its capacity. 258/ In
view of the fragmentary, information available, it is impossible to
make a reasonable estimate of the total production of reclaimed rub er
in Communist China.
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e. Transportation Goods.
As previously mentioned, the Japanese established the manu-
facture of motor vehicle tires in China. Almost the entire produc-
tion was of the 32-by-6.00-inch size to fit military vehicles. When
the Chinese Nationalists took over the government, they started the
production of other sizes, and later the Chinese Communists began
production of aircraft and large bus tires, and today many sizes are
in production.
When the Chinese Communists gained control of Northeast China
in 1948, the major tire producer was the former Japanese Bridgestone
Rubber Factory* in Tsingtao, and this plant continues to be the largest
producer. Other tire plants were located in Shanghai, Tientsin, and
Mukden. The announced goals of the First Five Year Plan of Communist
China (1953-57) included the construction of 4 tire plants and an
increase in production from 417,000 tires in 1952 to 760,000 tires in
1957. 259 It is probable that two of these new plants 260/ are
located at Peiping and Mu-tan-chiang. In addition, it was announced in
1954 that 2 tire plants had been undergoing expansion, 1 in Northeast
China and 1 in East China, and it was expected that production would
be doubled in these plants. 261 These expansions are believed to have
taken place in Tientsin and Mukden. Equipment for this added capacity
is reported to be coming from Czechoslovakia, East Germany, and the
USSR. 262
Annual announcements of production increases 263/ are
sufficient to give a fairly accurate estimate of the total production
of tires in Communist China. The estimated production of motor vehicle
tires in Communist China in 1946-55 is shown in Table 20.**
The estimated production of motor vehicle tires in Commu-
nist China, by plant, in 1948-55 is shown in Table 21.*
Communist China's domestic production of lamp black, which
is made by burning tung oil and similar materials, is not suitable for
making tires, but it can be used in some nontransportation goods.
*
***
See Table 21, p. 61, below.
Table 20 follows on p. 60.
Table 21 follows on p. 61.
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Estimated Production of Motor Vehicle Tires
in Communist China
1946-55
Year Production Year Production
1946 N.A. 1951 225
1947 N.A. 1952 417 a/
1948 59 1953 488
1949 25 1954 702.5 e
1950 62 1955 597 d
a. 2
b. 265
c . 266/
d. 237-/
Supplies of carbon black, therefore, are essential for tire plant in
China. Because the US produces more than 90 percent of the Western
supply, China imported carbon black of a quality needed for tires
from the US until 1950, when restrictions were placed on this trade
by the US. A thriving business in smuggling 268/ through Hong Kong
and Macao then developed because the internal price of US-made
carbon black rose to about $1,700 per ton, more than $0.77 per po nd,
compared with a US price of about $0.16 per pound. Smuggled supp ies
were inadequate to meet requirements; hence the principal source as
the countries of the Soviet Bloc. Soviet carbon black has been
reported to be valued at about $853 per ton. 2L9/ In 1950 the au hor-
ities also began a program to produce carbon black from domestic
sources.
Large amounts of gas escape into the air from the coal mi es
at Fushun, Liaotung Province. A plant was constructed at Fushun to
collect the gas and burn it to produce carbon black. The plant i con-
trolled by the Fushun Mining Administration and is reportedly pro ucing
about 3,000 tons of carbon black per year. 270 Another source ich
was exploited was the gas field at Lung-Ch'ang, Szechwan Province,
which was controlled by the Petroleum Administration General Bure u.
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Table 21
Estimated Production of Motor Vehicle Tires in Communist China, by Plant
1948-55
Estimated Production
(Thousand Units)
State Control
Number of
1
53
1954
1955
Date
Employees
1948
1949
1950
1951
1952
9
Shanghai
21 December 1954
938
27.0
5.0
25.0
50.0
67.0
Ta Chung Nua
(in 1950)
Chung nan
1 January 1954
N.A.
5.0
50.0
10.0
50.0
10.0
50.0
20.0
50.0
Cheng Tai
in Chi
1 January 1954
300
(in 1952)
Tientsin (T'ien-ching)
Rubber Plant No. 2 December 1950
980
(in 1952)
Tien-ching Rubber Distribution Works N.A.
N.A. 1.2
Canton (Kuang-chou)
Kuang-thou Rubber Manufacturing Works
Peiping
Chung-ya Chin Kun-yeh
Mukden (Shen-yang)
Northeast Rubber Goods Plant
(Factories No. 1 and No. 7)
Tsingtao (Ch'ing-tao)
TsingtaO Rubber Goods Plant No. 1
Mu-tan-chiang
State-Operated Rubber Plant No. 1
Total
State-built 1,500
1951-53 (in 1952)
December 1950 6,o00 5.8 10.0 12.0 35.0 60.0
(in 1950)
December 1950 1,000 25.0 10.0 25.0 110.0 200.0
in 1951)
34.0 62.0
59.0 25.0 62.0 225.0 417.0 J 480.0 577.0 J 597.0 J
a. This plant has been reported to be producing tires, but no details are available.
b. 271
c. 272
d. Projected from 1954 figures.
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A channel black plant was constructed in 1953 to make carbon black
from 3 producing gas wells, and production was estimated to be ab t
650 tons in 1954. 273 Construction of buildings and drilling of n w
wells have been reported to be continuing, with an ultimate produc ion
goal of about 4,500 tons of carbon black by 1960. 274 The carbon
black plant was said to have had 500 employees in 195 and 900 in
1955 and was expected to employ 2,000 when completed. L75/ Soviet
technicians supervised the drilling and construction of the plant.
g. Tire Cord.
Requirements for tire cord in Communist China seem to be me
entirely by the cotton textile industry. This assumption is con-
firmed by the analysis of a MIG tire which was captured during the
Korean War. This tire was made in a Chinese Communist factory
using a Soviet tire mold and was made entirely of natural rubber
with cotton cord. 276/ Because jet aircraft tires must withstand
extreme service conditions, the use of cotton cord would indicate
that no better material was available.
Under a 1955 trade agreement, Communist China is to obtain
55,000 bales of Egyptian cotton from Egypt. 277/ It is probable th t
some of this long-staple cotton will be used to make tire cord and
textiles for the rubber industry.
The Tsingtao tire plant reportedly produces its own tire
cord from thread obtained from the Tsingtao textile mills. 278/
Also, the new rubber plant in Tientsin built by the Chinese Commu-
nists in 1951-52 was reported to get its fabric requirements from
textile mills located in Tientsin. 279/ There is no further infor-
mation indicating which textile mills are producing tire cord. It
has been reported that Communist China intends to build a rayon
and textile mill in Mu-tan-chiang, 280 which would be able to
produce the textiles needed by the rubber industry; Mu-tan-chiang
is also the location of one of the new tire plants discussed above.
The estimated requirements for tire cord in Communist China in
1953-55, based on tire production, are shown in the following
tabulation:
Requirements
Year Metric Tons)
1953 2,400
1954 2,885
1955 3,250
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h. Nontransportation Goods.
Footwear is the principal nontransportation item produced
by the rubber industry of Communist China. Because the process histor-
ically has been a handcraft operation, no exact figures can be given
for production before the Communist regime. In 1948, footwear
capacity was estimated to be 4 million pairs per month in the Shanghai
area alone, and this capacity was supposed to represent about 50
percent of the total for the country. 281/ Because of the small supply
of raw materials, actual production of footwear is believed to have
been considerably below capacity. The Chinese Communists have
made the following moves to organize the industry to.increase its
efficiency 282/: (1) the gradual elimination of the small, handcraft
shops; (2) the concentration of equipment in larger plants; (3) the
adoption of standard methods of manufacture to eliminate waste of raw
materials; and (4) attempts to improve the quality of product by
adopting quality standards and interchanging technical information
at conferences of the principal leaders of the industry.
In 1950 the rubber industry of Communist China was reported
to have 543 plants employing approximately 34,000 workers. 283 A
majority of these plants were making footwear. 284/ It is impossible
to estimate accurately the number of plants or workers in the
industry today because of the changes being made by the Chinese
Communists. Nor is it possible to make an accurate estimate of the
production of footwear in the individual plants known to be still
operating. From the annual reports made by the Chinese Communist
State Planning Commission, however, reasonably accurate figures can
be given for the annual production of footwear since 1948. The esti-
mated production of footwear in Communist China in 1949-57 is shown in
Table 22.*
B. Stockpiles.
Very little information is published on the stockpiling of
rubber in the Sino-Soviet Bloc. When considering the Soviet stockpile
as a possible source of supply, it is necessary to make certain basic
assumptions because the final estimates can be reached only by
indirection. It is reasonable to assume the following:
1. Only natural rubber is stockpiled. It is the judgment of
US experts that synthetic rubber should not be stored for more than 2
years, whereas natural rubber can be kept for periods of 10 years
* Table 22 follows on p. 64.
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Estimated Production of Footwear
in Communist China
1949-57
Thousand Pairs
Year Production Year
Production
1949
50,000 a/
1954
76,692
e
1950
45,100 '/
1955
88,196
1951
67,600
1956
100,000
estimated)
1952
61,690 c/
1957
108,300
planned) g/
1953
69,092 a/
a.
2 5
b.
286/
C.
2$7/
d.
2$/
e.
-5$9/
f.
290./
g.
291/
or more, depending on the original. quality of the rubber and con-
ditions of storage, such as temperature and humidity. Standard
practice in the US is to store only the highest grades available and
to rotate the stockpile by withdrawals within reasonable periods to
assure having a high-quality material in reserve at all times.
2. Stockpiling, in the sense of maintaining a strategic
reserve, is done only in the USSR. Because the control of natur l
rubber imports and its intra-Bloc movement is a function of
Raznoimport, 292/ it seems reasonable to assume that any strateg c
or military reserves are held within the geographic limits of th
USSR.
3. Available information indicates that rubber compounding
and application in the Sino-Soviet Bloc are similar to standard S
practice. The Soviet consumption pattern of natural rubber compared
with that of synthetic rubber probably is similar to that in the US.
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A leading authority on rubber has estimated that of the total
rubber requirements in the US, 25 percent can best be met with
natural rubber, regardless of its price. About 33 percent of the
requirements need synthetic. rubber for best performance, and the
remaining 42 percent can be met with either natural or synthetic
rubber, depending on price and availability. These proportions do
not represent actual consumption statistics in the US; natural
rubber actually accounts for approximately 40 percent of the con-
sumption of new rubber. It is probable, however, that the estimates
given would be approximately correct for the Sino-Soviet Bloc.
It is reported, for instance, that East German plants making
truck tires for the USSR are required to use all natural rubber for
the tires and 90 percent natural rubber and 10 percent Buna rubber
for the inner tubes. 293/ (US practice is to use from 60 to 100
percent natural rubber for the tires and 100 percent butyl rubber
for the inner tubes.) It seems reasonable to assume that this prac-
tice is followed in Soviet tire plants. There remains, however,
the question of how much natural rubber the USSR actually consumes
and how much it is able to set aside as a strategic reserve, or
stockpile.
According to an earlier study, 294/ imports of natural rubber
by the USSR through December 1951 would have permitted the stock-
piling of 205,600 tons of natural rubber. Later data show that in
1952 the apparent available supply of natural and synthetic rubber
was 49,000 tons more than estimated in the earlier study. This
increase would mean that instead of the estimated 42,500 tons
available for stockpiling in 1952, the actual amount was 91,500 tons,
which would increase the estimated stockpile as of 31 December 1952
to more than 297,000 tons.
In 1953,. Soviet imports of natural rubber decreased sharply, to
41,800 tons, lower than in any year since 1947.* In 1954 the USSR
imported almost no natural rubber through normal trade channels. 295/
In 1955 it was announced that the USSR was again in the market to pur-
chase rubber. Imports, however, did not start until about July, and
the amount obtained was about 25,000 tons during the remainder of the
year, less than one-half of the estimated Soviet minimum requirement,
In contrast? the European Satellites continued to import natural
rubber in amounts approximating their estimated normal needs. It
seems unlikely that during 1953-55 the USSR obtained significant
amounts of natural rubber from'the Satellites. On the other hand,
* See Table 23, p. 68, below.
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Communist China during 1953-55 undoubtedly imported more natural
rubber than was needed or could be processed. It was reported tha
under the Soviet-Chinese Payments and Credits Agreement concluded
early in 1953, China was obligated to resell to the USSR 45 percen
of the rubber obtained from Ceylon (under the rubber-rice barter
agreement) and 40 percent of that which was obtained elsewhere. 2
If this report is correct, China would supply the USSR with natura
rubber during the 3 years as follows: about 25,000 tons in 1953, a out
30,000 tons in 1954, and about 20,000 tons in 1955. If these amounts
are added to Soviet purchases through normal trade channels, the
imports of natural rubber by the USSR in 1953-55 would have been
approximately as follows 297/:
Imports
Year (Metric Tons
1953 67,000
1954 30,000
1955 45,000
On the basis of a 25-percent requirement for natural rubber,
the USSR needed 208,000 tons of natural rubber, 56,000 tons more
than was available from outside sources in 1953-55.
Because earlier estimates indicate that stockpiling in the USSR
started about 1948, it seems likely that the deficit which existed 4n
1953-55 was met by removal of rubber from the stockpile. From a ti ing
point of view -- that is, the necessity to rotate some of the stock
pile -- this assumption seems reasonable. In addition, it would appear
logical from the change which has taken place in the political cli-
mate in Communist China between 1949 and 1953. Geographically,
the Chinese Communists are not far from a potential annual supply o
75,000 to 90,000 tons of rubber from southern Indochina. Thus the
urgency to maintain a 4- to 5-year supply in the stockpile is con-
siderably less than it was in 1948. Also, under the Soviet-Chinese
agreement, the USSR will receive an average of about 25,000 tons
of natural rubber per year 298/ through 1957. Because a large stock
pile of natural rubber represents large amounts of hard currency, thore
is an additional economic reason for the USSR to keep strategic re-
serves at a minimum. Exactly what figure the Soviet planners have
agreed on is not known, but the factors discussed above suggest that
200,000 tons would'be considered adequate for any emergency. In a U
Air Force report, 299/ it was estimated that in the event of a war tYe
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S -E-C -R -E -T
Sino-Soviet Bloc would experience a deficit of 89,000 tons of rubber
during the first year of fighting. Thus a stockpile of 200,000 tons
would be more than adequate for 2 years.
In conclusion, it is probable that in 1953-55 the USSR has been
reducing its strategic reserve of natural rubber almost 20,000 tons
per year. Soviet purchases since July 1955 300. have been of the
highest quality rubber, which is a further indication that acqui-
sitions are being used to replace material being withdrawn from the
stockpile.
In any event, it is significant that the Soviet policy of purchas-
ing natural rubber through world trade channels and in amounts at
least adequate to meet current requirements was changed early in
1953 as shown in Table 23.* The importance of this shift in policy
cannot be assessed without more information. Purchases by the Sino-
Soviet Bloc during the next few years may indicate whether the reasons
were economic or political. Also, information on similar shifts in
the stockpiling of other materials may make possible some firm
conclusions or the subject.
1. Natural Rubber.
Because domestic production of natura] rubber is almost
nonexistent, the Sino-Soviet Bloc must depend on imports from the West
to meet its requirements. Estimated imports of natural rubber by the
Sino-Soviet Bloc, by country, in 19+6-55 are shown in Table 23.* The
figures in Table 23 are based on the published statistics which mof maintains a
International Rubber Study Group (IRSG) in London, statistical service covering the world movements of rubber. Infor-
mation on the Bloc has been estimated on the basis of reported ship-
ments from the principal rubber centers and is the most accurate
available. No statistics are published by the IRSG on estimated
shipments to East Germany.
Statistics on natural rubber imported by Communist China
present a problem. Exports of rubber to China by members of the UN
not material.
are proscribed because rubber is considered to be a strategic g
When this prohibition was enacted in 1951, Ceylon was
the UN; consequently, China began importing its requirements from
* Table 23 follows on p. 68.
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S-E-C-R-E-T
Table 23
Estimated Imports of Natural Rubber by the Sino-Soviet Bloc, by Country
1946-55
Total USSR
Communist China
Bulgaria
Czechoslovakia
Germany 1
Hungary
Poland
Rumania
USSR
and Eu opean
Sat
llit
Communist China c
ts
(Covert Receipts --
Totl
i
Average Singapore Price
e
es
(Estimated Receip
)
Minimum )
Siro-Sov
et Bloc
(US $ per Long Ton)
Year
1946
779
N.A.
256
1,450
500
9
11
985
177-75
200
8
1947
300
14,767
N.A.
2,377
2,250
100
,
000
35
,
54
794
.
0
8
1948
150
23,358
900
3
000
3
600
1
000
,
100
000
,
1
2
0
8
1
1.93
741.73
1949
1950
925
175
27,500
22,500
1,700
504
,
8,500
6
500
,
12,000
500
5
,
1,250
,
105,000
82
3
,
0
156,875
27,500
184,375
,
1,162.51
1951
275
11
000
6
,
,
575
,500
118,254
70,000
188
254
658.69
462
39
1952
575
,
20,000
9,37
536
250
4,750
11,500
20,000
600
2,750
63,000
123,000
96,001
171
611
73,250
23
750
169,251
.
461.44
1953
1954
750
300
17,000
22
300
1,448
892
23,000
250
11
21,500
1
000
loo
2
41,850
,
105,648
,
6o,o00
3,500 d
195,361
169,148
685.00 J
1955
700
,
,
5,
00
425
50,367
62,250
7,240 e
119
857
23,300
9,095
5,100
23,500
goo
24,400
86,955
31,750
8,440 J
,
127,185
b. No official estimates are made by the IRSG on East Germany. Figures given are based on reexports from London and Amsterdam. East Germany also receives reexports from the
c. China before Communist domination is not included.
d. Shipped from Burma. 302,/
e. Shipped from Indonesia. 303
f. Approximate.
g. 850 tons from Singapore, 304 7,200 tons from Indonesia, 305 and 390 tons from Burma. 306
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Ceylon. Total imports in 1952, as shown in Table 23, were from
Ceylon. Late in the same year the 2 countries signed a 5-year
trade agreement whereby China received 50,000 tons of rubber per
year in exchange for 270,000 tons of rice. 3o7/ Consequently, the
published statistics for the past 4 years represent shipments from
Ceylon to China. Actually, additional quantities have been ex-
ported from Indonesia and Burma. The quantities shown in Table 23
reflect all known imports for 1953, 1954, and 1955. China continues
attempts to circumvent the control of rubber shipments by offering
premium prices, particularly to Indonesia and Burma, 308/ where
political advantage might be gained from such deals, even though
China's requirements are less than its imports from Ceylon. 309/
Because imports of natural rubber must be purchased with
hard currency, they represent an important drain supplies value of rub-
ber in the Sino-Soviet Bloc. In 1952 the market
bimports by the USSR represented an estimated 10 percent of all
imports from the West. Later years, in which imports were smaller,
show a decreasing value of these acquisitions. The present trend
appears to be for the European Satellites to obtain rubber in
exchange for, manufactured products through trade agreements, thus
reducing requirements for foreign exchange.
2. Synthetic Rubber.
The Sino-Soviet Bloc does not import synthetic rubber; on
the contrary, a small amount, supposedly from East Germany, was
exported through Switzerland to the US in 1955. About 500 tons of
synthetic rubber were imported at New York at a declared value of
15.3 cents per pound. This is about 10 cents per pound less than
the prevailing price in the US.
3. Rubber Products.
Small amounts of motor vehicle tires are exported annually
from Italy to the European Satellites. Statistics on the volume of
this trade, however, are insufficient to be a reliable indicator of
its value. 310/ These imports are not believed to constitute an
important source of supply for the Satellites.
4. Plans.
There is no mention in the Soviet Sixth Five Year Plan
(1956-60) of projected trade in rubber or rubber products. Information
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is available, however, on the planned movements of these materials to
and from East Germany during 1955 and 1956. In 1955, planned exp s
of synthetic rubber from East Germany were 39,140 tons, valued at bout
82 million rubles. 11 This amount represented about 55 percent of the
planned production of 70,936 tons. 12 In 1956, East Germany is
expected to export 38,500 tons, 1 slightly more than one-half o
planned production. Imports of motor vehicle tires were expected to
be 65,500 tires in 1955, valued at 9,725,000 rubles, 14 compared
with 16,000 tires to be imported in 1956. JyJ/ Planned imports of
natural rubber and rubber products during 1955 were valued at 50 Ilion
rubles, about 15.33 percent of planned imports of chemicals. In 1955,
exports of synthetic rubber and fabricated rubber products were listed
as having a value of almost 100 million rubles, 11.68 percent of 1
exports of chemicals. 16
At a meeting of CEMA, held in East Berlin from 18 to 25
May 1956, 317/ detailed plans were made for the exchange of many
chemicals and rubber products within the Soviet Bloc during 1957-6(.
Shipments of synthetic rubber and motor vehicle tires between the
various-participating countries were forecast. Planned shipments
of synthetic rubber and motor vehicle tires within the Soviet Bloc
in 1957-60 are shown in Table 24.* The approximate values of thes
exchanges have been derived from the values given above for East
German trade in 1955.
A study of the figures in Table 24 shows that East Germany is
to be the primary source of synthetic rubber for the European Satel-
lites in 1957-60 because exports from the USSR are almost counterbal-
anced by imports. The USSR and Czechoslovakia, however, are expec d
to supply motor vehicle, tires to the rest of the Bloc. From the
incomplete data available on the trade,in these products during the
Fifth Five Year Plan period, it would appear that these projected
movements conform to the general trade pattern which has prevailed in
recent years.
* Table 24 follows on p . 71.
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Table 24
Planned Shipments of Synthetic Rubber and Motor Vehicle Tires
Within the Soviet Bloc
1957-6o
Value
product and Country Am?unt (ThO--d ambles) Amount
1958- 1959
Value v a-
sand
Thousand Rubles) Amount (Thousand Rubles) Amount (Thou Rubles
Synthetic rubber
(Thousand tons)
0
5
1,048
0.5
1,048
1
4
Bulgaria
T
0.5
1,o48
0.5
1,048
5
658
.
3.1
6,496
6.4
0
2
1
13,
4,191
o
ary
n
H
2.4
5,029
2.7
8
,
16
345
1.0
2,096
.
4
1
2,934
g
u
To
To Poland
7.0
14,668
7.
,
1
257
0.8
1,676
.
0
25
52,388
Rumania
T
0.8
1,676
0
,
5
25.0
52,388
.
7
0
14,668
o
USSR
25.0
52,388
25.
0
286
6,
7.5
15,716
.
To
Czechoslovakia
T
1.0
2,096
3.
,
42
3
88,640
o
36.7
76,905
3.9.6
82,982
37.9
79,420
.
0
3
629
0.3
629
4
0.3
2
4
629
8,801
To Albania
To Bulgaria
0.2
2.9
419
6,077
.
3.3
1
5
6,915
3,143
3.6
1.7
7,54
3,562
.
2.0
0.1
4,191
210
Hun
ary
1.3
2,724
.
1
210
0.1
210
5
0
10,478
g
To
To East Germany
0.1
210
0.
4
5
9,430
,
5.7
11,944
44
.
6.o
12,573
To Poland
4.5
9,430
.
4
316
11
5.7
11, 9
15.5
32,480
To Rumania
5.3
11,106
5.
14.3
29,966
15.2
31,852
choslovakia
C
12.3
25,775
3
1
69,362
ze
To
26.6
55,741
61,609
32.3
67,685
.
3
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S-E-C-R-E-T
Product and Country
Motor vehicle tires
(Thousand units)
Amount
Table 24
Planned Shipments of Synthetic Rubber and Motor Vehicle Tires
Within the Soviet Bloc
1957-60
(Continued)
Value Value
Value
LThousand Ruble) amount Thousand Rubles Amount
(Thousand Rubles)
Value
(Thousand Rubles) Amount
USSR
To Albania
14.2
2,108
16
To Bulgaria
2
5
.3
2,420
18
6
To Hun
ar
.
371
1.5
22
.
2,762
20.0
2
6
g
y
T
0.3
45
0
3
3
1.6
238
1
2
,9
9
o East Germany
42.0
6
2
6
.
45
0.4
.
178
To Poland
To Rumania
146.1
68
2
,
3
21,691
36.0
12.3
5,345
1,826
26.0
96
4
59
3,860
0.4
26.0
59
3,86o
To Czechoslovakia
.
0.5
10,126
74
190.3
0.5
28,254
74
.
190.9
0
5
14,312
28,343
52.0
192.5
7,720
28,580
2
8
.
74
0..5
74
73.
40,651
257.2
38 187
334.4
49648
2
2
6
9
.
43,440
To Albania
5.0
742
5
0
To Bulgaria
To Hungary
T
2.0
0.7
297
104
.
1.5
0
9
742
223
5.0
2.0
742
297
5.1
2
0
757
o East Germany
3.0
445
.
134
1.0
148
.
297
To Poland
3.0
445
1.0
148
T
23.9
3,548
24
7
3.0
445
o Rumania
To USSR
1.0
1.0
148
.
1.5
3,667
223
17.6
2
0
2,613
3.0
17.0
445
2,524
148
.
297
1.5
22
1.0
148
1.0
3
148
5,432
5,582
31.6
4,690
30.6
4,542
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 Approved For Release 1999/09/02 : CIA-RDP79-01093AO01200040009-3
III. Consumption Patterns.
As explained in previous reports, 318 consumption of rubber falls
into two major categories -- that used in transportation goods and that
used in nontransportation goods. The uses of ,rubber in nontransporta-
tion goods are many, so the potential demand in this field is almost
unlimited. The demand for rubber in most industrialized countries,
however, can be judged by the amount consumed in transportation goods
because this category usually accounts for 50 to 75 percent of the
total consumption.
In addition to the number of motor vehicles in a country, there
are many factors which influence the demand for motor vehicle tires,
such as the condition of the roads, the average ton-miles traveled per
vehicle, and the quality of the tires. Furthermore, there is a large
intra-Sino-Soviet Bloc trade in tires on which information is incom-
plete. Production of tires in individual countries, moreover, is not
necessarily proportional to the domestic motor park. For these reasons,
the estimated production of tires in the Sino-Soviet Bloc is a much
firmer basis for estimating rubber demand than the number of motor vehicles
produced or in use. In Albania, where no motor vehicle tires are pro-
duced, a small amount of rubber is used for bicycle tires and tire re-
pair materials, khich are classified as transportation goods. 319
This amount is assumed to be about 15 to 20 percent of the consumption
of rubber in Albania. Because Albania is not economically developed,
the amounts involved are small.
The consumption of rubber in the USSR can be estimated from
the production of motor vehicle tires.* Briefly, it consists of calcu-
lating the amount of rubber required to make the estimated number of
tires and inner tubes produced, with an addition of 10 percent for
bicycle tires and tire repair materials. On the basis of this method-
ology, it is believed that transportation goods represent about two-
thirds of the total demand for rubber. 32l This proportion closely
approximates the average prevailing in the West, but it will tend to
decrease as the use of rubber in consumer goods expands. As long as
Details of the methodology used are presented in source 320./.
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the Soviet economy is state controlled and emphasis remains on hea
industry, the amount of rubber used in nontransportation goods probably
will remain about one-half of that used in transportation goods.
The estimated consumption of rubber in the USSR in 1946
and 1960 is shown in Table 25.*
The consumption of rubber in the European Satellites ha
been thoroughly analyzed in a previous report. 322 In Albania the e
is one rubber plant, located in Durres, which makes bicycle tires, 1ire
repair materials, footwear, and consumer goods. The estimated con p-
tion of rubber in Albania in 1946-55 is shown in Table 26.**
C. Bulgaria.
The Second Five Year Plan (1953-57) of Bulgaria establis~ed
a goal of increasing the production of rubber products 23 by 90 pe
cent during the period. Production of motor vehicle tires increased
rapidly during the postwar years, transportation goods consuming an
increasing proportion of the rubber supply. In 1953 it was announce
that the Georgi Dimitrov Tire Plant was making bus tires, 32 and i
1954, large tires for heavy trucks were in production. 325 The man
facture of the larger sizes would increase the amount of rubber used
in tires. The estimated consumption of rubber in Bulgaria in 1946-5
is shown in Table 27.***
D. Czechoslovakia.
Czechoslovakia is the major producer of motor vehicle tir s
in the European Satellites. In addition, Czechoslovakia produces lar e
quantities of industrial and consumer goods made from rubber. On the
basis of reported national estimates of total volume of goods and tra.e
and related data, it is estimated that transportation goods currently
*
Table 25 follows on p.
75.
Table 26 follows on p.
76.
#*
Table 27 follows on p.
77.
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Estimated Consumption of Rubber in the USSR a/
1946-55 and 1960
Estimated
Consumption of Rubber
(Thousand Metric Tons)
Estimated
Production of Tires Transportation
Thousand Units) Goods
Nontransportation
Goods
Total
Year
1946
975 59.6
2
29.8
89.4
1947
,
3,871 77.8
38.9
116.7
1948
205 104.5
5
52.2
156.7
1949
,
6,700 134.5
67.2
201.7
1950
8,245 165.5
82.8
248.3
1951
8,320 167.0
83.5
250.5
1952
8,400 168.6
84.3
252.9
1953
8,990 180.5
90.2
270.7
1954
30,245 205.7
102.8
308.5
6
1955
11,575 232.4
116.2
348.
1960 (Plan)
23,0002 46o.ob
230.0 1
69o.o
a. 32
b. Approximate .
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Table 26
Estimated Consumption of Rubber in Albania 1
1946-55
Year Consumption Year Consumption
1946
1947
1948
1949
1950
20
30
6o
100
125
1951 160
1952 180
200
260
375
1953
1954
1955
a. Estimates for 1946-53 are taken from source
3',n/. Estimates for 1954 and 1955 are based on
the published goal of the First Five Year Plan,
that is, 1955 production to be 300 percent of
that in 1950.
consume only about 47 percent 328/ of the national rubber demand.
The estimated consumption of rut~~ er in Czechoslovakia in 1946-55
shown in Table 28.**
E. East Germany.
Many reports on the rubber industry of East Germany a
available; so it is possible to present a fairly accurate picture
rubber consumption in that country. Although the production of m
vehicle tires has increased sharply during recent years, there is
a severe tire shortage, a condition which probably will continue
manufacturing capacity is considerably expanded. 330 More than
half of the tires made are large sizes for trucks and buses. In
tion, East Germany is an important producer of industrial rubber
such as conveyor belts, transmission belting, and rubber hose, soy
* For further details, see source 329/?
Table 28 follows on p. 78.
_76-
e
of
tor
still
ntil
ne-
ddi-
roods
e
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Table 27
Estimated Consumption of Rubber in Bulgaria
1946-55
Year
Motor Vehicle Tires
and
Inner Tubes
Repair
Materials b
Transportation
Goods
Nontransportation
Goods _C/
Total
1946
45 j
10
55
445
500
1947
72 /
15
87
573
660
1948
113 1
23
136
748
884
1949
244
49
293
807
1,100
1950
475
76
551
1,036
1,587
1951
625 1
100
725
1,200
1,925
1952
681 /
180
861
1,113
1,974
1953
741
/
200
941
1,407 g,/
2,348
1954
1,020
J
230
1,050
1,617 /
2,667
1955
1,184 /
250
1,434
1,858
3,292
a. 331
b. 332/
C- 333/
d. Based on an average weight of 20 pounds per tire and inner tube.
e. Based on an average weight of 25 pounds per tire and inner tube.
f. Based on an average weight of 30 pounds per tire and inner tube.
g. Calculated on the basis of an average annual increase of 14.9 percent, the announced
goal for the Second Five Year Plan. Completion of,the planned production for 1954 and
the first 9 months of 1955 has been announced.
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Estimated Consumption of Rubber in Czechoslovakia a/
1946-55
Year
Transportation
Goods
Nontransportation
Goods
1946
5,069
7,931
13,000
1947
11,063
12,937
24,000
1948
14,769
19,831
34,600
1949
19,000
26,000
45,000
1950
22,520
27,480
50,000
1951
25,570
29,430
55,000
1952
27,095
30,905
58,000
1953
28,620
31,380
6o,000
1954
30,650
34,550
65,200
1955
32,700
36,800
69,500
a. Estimates for 1946-53 are taken from source 33
Estimates for 1951i- and 1955 were calculated from the
estimated production of tires.
of which are exported to other European Satellites. Consequently,
transportation goods require less than 50 percent of the consumption
of new rubber in East Germany. The estimated consumption of rubber
in East Germany in 1946-55 is shown in Table 29.*
F. Hungary.
Although the rubber industry of Hungary has been expanded
since World War II, it still represents only about 5 percent of the
total rubber industry in the European Satellites. The Second Five Year
Plan (1956-60) of Hungary provides for further expansion of the indus ry
with the objective of Hungary becoming self-sufficient in rubber
Table 29 follows on p. 79-
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products. 335 Transportation goods consume approximately one-half
of the total demand for rubber in Hungary. The estimated consumption
of rubber in Hungary in 1946-55 is shown in Table 30.*
Table 29
Estimated Rubber Consumption in East Germany a/
1946-55
Metric Tons
Year
Transportation
Goods
Nontransportation
Goods
Total
1946
441
12,559
13aOW
1947
688
16,312
17,000
1948
1,504
19,831
21,335
1949
3,061
16,939
20,000
1950
5,850
20,650
26,500
1951
9,417
20,183
29,600
1952
12,100
22,400
34,500
1953
14,640
25,369 1
40,000
1954
18,235
15,865 cf
'
34,100
1955
18,441
20,716
cJ
39,157
a. This table was compiled from data presented in source
336/ and from information based on actual consumption
figures and plans for 1953 through 1955.
b. Adjusted on the basis of actual production of tires
in 1953.
c. Difference between total rubber consumption and
amount used to make transportation goods.
d. Planned total rubber consumption for 1953.
e. Planned total rubber consumption for 1954.
f. Planned total rubber consumption for 1955.
Before World War II, Poland had a large rubber industry.
Although it suffered severely during the war the industry had regained
its position by 1948. Since that time it has continued to expand with
the industrial development of the country. A wide variety of rubber
* Table 30 follows on p. 80.
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Table 30
Estimated Consumption of Rubber in Hungary a/
1946-55
Metric Tons
Year
Transportation
Goods
Nontransportation
Goods
Total
1946
545
430
975
1947
795
805
1,600
1948
1,000
1,500
2,500
1949
1,315
1,985
3,300
1950
1,885
2,470
4,355
1951
2,355
3,000
5,355
1952
3,000
3,200
6,200
1953
3,450
3,550
7,000
1954
3,550
3,700
7,250
1955
3,850
3,950
7,800
a. Estimates for 1-9-46 - 3 are taken from source .
Estimates for 1954 and 1955 are based on later infor-
mation.
products are made, not only for domestic consumption but also for
export. Domestic demand for motor vehicle tires is approximately
300,000 tires per year; production is estimated to have been 425,000
tires in 1955. / Nontransportation goods are the major consumers
of rubber, requiring about 60 percent of total consumption. The esti
mated consumption of rubber in Poland in 1946-55 is shown in Table 31
H. Rumania.
The demand for rubber in Rumania is not large, as Rumani
industrial expansion began after World War II. The Second Five Year
Plan (1956-60) of Rumania calls for extensive additions to various
industries, which will be reflected in an increased demand for rubber
products. Rubber products have been imported either from other Europe
* Table 31 follows on p. 81.
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S-E-C-R-E-T
Table 31
Estimated Consumption of Rubber in Poland 1
1946-55
Metric Tons
Year
Transportation
Goods
Nontransportation
Goods
Total
1946
580
1,570
2,150
1947
1,585
4,315
5,900
8
1948
2,766
5,354
,120
1
8
1949
3,389
5,526
5
,9
1950
4,125
6,375
10,500
0
9
4)900
9
7,100
12,00
000
15
52
1
100
6,
950
7
8,900
12,050
,
20,000
1953
1954
,
9,275
13,725
23,000
OOo
24
1955
9,350
14,650
,
a.
Satellites or from the USSR, but Rumania should be self-sufficient in
domestic production by 1960.* The estimated consumption of rubber in
Rumania in 1946-55 is shown in Table 32.**
I. Communist China.
As it is in other countries, the rubber industry of Communist
China is geared to the needs of the country. Its products, in order of
importance from the point of view of rubber consumption, are ackshass
footwear; motor vehicle tires; small tires for bicycles, jinri, and
carts; and industrial and consumer goods.
Production of footwear in 1955 was'estimated to be 90 million
pairs.* Rubber requirements for this number of shoes will naturally
depend on the type of footwear being made. Most of the Chinese
Further details are given in source L02.
* Table 32 follows on p. 82.
See II, A, 9, h, p. 63, above.
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Estimated Consumption of Rubber in Rumania a/
1946-55
a. Unless otherwise indicated, estimates for 1946-
52 are taken from source 341/.
b. Based on the estimated annual production of tires.
c. Based on the reported total increase in value of
rubber products in 1950-55. 342
Metric Tons
Year
Transportation
Goods
Nontransportation
Goods
Total
1946
153
230
388
1947
48o
220
700
1948
20
1
780
1,500
1949
1,
82
818
2,000
1950
1,323
877
2,200
1951
1,400
1,200
2,600
1952
? 1,550
1,250
2,800
1953
1,890 b
1,6oo
3,490
1954
2,150 1
1,850
4,000
1955
2,450 b
2,050
4,500 C/
Communists are accustomed to wearing sandals or a soft heelless sho ,
so the rubber shoes produced are predominantly of the "sneaker" type.
In addition, many miners' boots are manufactured. Sneakers require as
little as one-eighth of new rubber (about 1/4 pound), whereas the boots
may require several kilograms. On the basis of experience of the lar-
gest US manufacturer of rubber footwear, it is estimated that the
average amount of rubber needed for all footwear would be about 1/4 kg
(1/2 pound) per pair. To make 90 million pairs would require 22,50
tons of new rubber, more than 55 percent of the total demand.
Most of the production of motor vehicle tires in Communist
China 343 is of the sizes 32 inches by 6 inches 10 ply or 34 inches
by 7 inches 8 ply, both of which require approximately 12.6 kg
(about 27.5 pounds) of rubber for a tire and a tube. Other sizes in-
clude large tires for buses and small tires for passenger cars.
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Because these sizes are relatively few in number, it is believed that
the weight given above represents a conservative average. On the
basis of an estimated production of 650,000 tires in 1955, consumption
of rubber in motor vehicle tires in China would be slightly more
than 8,000 tons.
Communist China annually uses many tires for a wide
variety of vehicles such, as bicycles, tricycles, jinrickshas, push-
carts, and. wagons. Most of these tires have inner tubes which would
require new rubber in their construction. The casings made in at
least one plant were 50 percent new rubber and 50 percent reclaimed
rubber. 344/ Considering the various sizes of tires produced, a
conservative estimate of the average requirement would be at least
1 kg of new rubber for each new tire and inner tube. The annual pro-
duction of small tires is difficult to estimate, but it was reported
in 1948 that manufacturing capacity was 4.05 million tires and 4.45
million inner tubes. 345/ Because the Chinese Communists are empha-
sizing production of motor vehicle tires, it is doubtful, considering
the small supply of raw materials, that more than 4 million small
tires and inner tubes were made in 1955, which would require 4,000
tons of rubber.
Other items manufactured in Communist China are hose,
belting, printing rolls, and. industrial goods. A few consumer goods,
such as hot-water bottles, gloves, and rubberized fabric for rainwear,
are produced. The amount of rubber used in these products will be
based on availability of raw materials. On the basis of planned pro-
duction of tires and footwear and on individual plant studies, it
is believed that the total rubber consumption in Communist China in
1955 was approximately 40,000 tons. The following tabulation is a
breakdown of this figure:
t
d
Consumption
(Metric Tons)
Consumption
Percent
uc
Pro
Footwear (90 million pairs)
22,500
56.25
Motor vehicle tires (650,000)
8,000
20.00
Small tires (4 million)
4,000
10.00
Industrial and consumer goods
5,500
13-75
Total
40,000
100.00
A recent estimate of the consumption of rubber in Communist
China in 1955 is 49,000 tons. 346
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S-E-C-R-E-T
IV. Material Balances of Rubber in the Sino-Soviet Bloc.
A. General.
Estimated material balances of rubber in the Sino-Soviet Bloc
in 1946-55 are shown in Table 33.* Arbitrary conclusions cannot be
derived from these data, but certain obvious trends are indicated.
B. USSR.
The USSR was obviously short of rubber for 2 years after World
War II. By 1948 the USSR had started to build up supplies and for
several years continued a policy of stockpiling rubber. The reversal
of this policy, which took place in 1953, has been discussed.**
C. European Satellites.
Rubber supplies in the European Satellites approximate con-
sumption in those countries. Any surpluses which appear probably go
into state reserves, which may be drawn on to meet temporary shortages.
As they probably never exceed a 6-month requirement, they would not
constitute stockpiles from a strategic point of view.
D. Communist China.
Communist China's operations in the rubber market are not clear.
Purchases during 1950 and 1951 were obviously much in excess of domestic
needs. Although the reasons for making these purchases are not known,
the following reasons may apply:
1. To anticipate the control on the shipment of rubber to Com-
munist China which was imposed late in 1951 by the UN,
2. To convert foreign credits into useful raw materials before
the COCOM immobilized these accounts, or
3. To provide acceptable exports to the USSR in exchange for
the military aid received for use in Korea.
Communist China's agreement with Ceylon assured China of more
than adequate supplies of rubber during the life of the contract.
Nevertheless, Communist China apparently continues efforts to obtain
Table 33 follows on p. 86.
See II, B, p. 63, above. - 85 -
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Table 33
Estimated Material Balances of Rubber in the Sino-Soviet Bloc a/
1946-55
USSR
European Satellites
C
ommunist China
Year
Supply
Demand
Difference
Suppl
De
d
Diff
Total
y
man
erence
Supply
Demand
Difference :
1946
4
70.5
89.4
- 18.9
33.5
30
- 15
4
7
19
1
48
108.4
22
8
116.7
- 8.3
55.7
49.9
5.8
.
- 2.5
9
4
1
0.
26
156.7
64.1
73.9
68.4
5.5
69.6
9
9
19
0
5.5
2
8
201.7
4
63.8
92.0
80.4
11.6
28.1
17.0
11.1
86.5
5
1951
72.
288
2
8.3
24.5
91.8
95.3
- 3.5
70.6
21.0
49.6
70.6
1952
.3
6
250.5
37.8
101.3
106.6
- 5.3
74.0
23.0
51.0
83.4
1953
3
7.7
311
8
252.9
2
114.8
129.1
118,7
1o.4
24.4
25.0
- 0.6
124.6
1954
.
282
70.7
08
41.1
154.5
133.0
21.5
64.3
29.0
35.3
97.9
1955
.9
2
4
3
.5
4
- 25.6
157.5
136.3
21.2
70.4
38.0
32.4
28.0
a F
33
.
3
8.6
- 16.2
169.8
148.6
21.2
41.1
40.0
1.1
6.1
.
or methodology, see Appendix A. The margin of error is plus or minus 10 percent.
~ ousand etr c o
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rubber from the underdeveloped countries of Southeast Asia. These
efforts undoubtedly are politically motivated; in at least one recent
transaction, it is suspected that the rubber purchased and paid for by
Communist China went directly to the European Satellites. 347 This
situation is discussed more fully below.*
* See VI, C, p. 94+, below.
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V. Inputs.
The manufacturing phases of the rubber industry may be
divided into two broad categories: (1) chemical, which includes the
production of synthetic rubber, rubber chemicals, and reclaimed
rubber; and (2) mechanical, which involves the fabrication of rubber
products.
In the chemical phase the processes are varied, and some are
extremely complicated. As an illustration, the following list shows
the basic chemicals required to make "Buna S" type of rubber 348/:
Acetic acid
Alcohol, ethyl
Alum
Alumina, activated
Aluminum chloride, anhydrous
Ammonia, anhydrous
Antioxident, BLE
Bardol
Benzene
Casein
Caustic soda
"Chlorex"
Chromium acetate
Commercial acetone
Ethylene
Furfural
Hydrogen chloride
Hydroquinone
Lauryl mercaptan
Manganese acetate
Nitric acid, fuming
Oxalic acid
Phenyl a-naphthylamine
Phenyl b-naphthylamine
Potassium persulfate
Potassium tantalum fluoride
Salt
Silica gel
Sodium bicarbonate
Sodium carbonate, anhydrous
SONJ - 1707 catalyst
Sulfonated pine oil
Sulfur
Sulfuric acid, 95 percent
Sulfuric acid, 98 percent
Titanium dioxide
Triethanolamine
Zinc sulfate
When it is considered that Buna S is only one of many types
of synthetic rubber, it is evident that a detailed list of material
inputs, if it were obtainable, would be of little practical value
and beyond the scope of this report. Alcohol requirements for making
synthetic rubber by the Soviet process have been discussed in a previous
report. 349/ A recent statement in a Soviet book, which called atten-
tion to the economic 350/ advantages of petroleum as a source of alco-
hol, stated that for the manufacture of 1 passenger-car tire, 50
liters of alcohol normally are used. Fifty liters of alcohol equal
200 kg (about 450 pounds) of grain, or 500 kg (about 1,100 pounds) of
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potatoes. In making Sovprene, the Soviet equivalent for oil-resist4nt
neoprene, the principal ingredients are acetylene from calcium carb de
and hydrogen chloride. According to the US originators of the pro-
cess, 2,750 kg of calcium carbide and 4+14 kg of hydrogen chloride
are required per ton of product.
According to captured documents, during World War II,
Germany required the following inputs to make 1 ton of Buna rubber:
Input
Process water 230 to 250 cubic meters
Steam 3.3 to 3.5 tons
Electricity 145 to 165 kilowatt-hours (kwh)
Nitrogen 13 to 16 cubic meters
Air 7.5 to 8.5 cubic meters
Treated water 1.8 to 2.0 cubic meters
No information is available on capital investment, manufacturing
costs, or labor requirements in making synthetic rubber in the USSR.
In the mechanical phase a wide variety of materials in additi
to rubber is required to make finished end products. For example,
the standard formula for a tire-tread mix will contain from 10 to
15 ingredients in addition to rubber. Even the quality and percentage
of rubber used will vary with the nature of the product to be made.
For this reason, it is not possible to estimate the inputs for the
rubber industry in terms of specific quantities of different materials.
Only one reference to utilities requirements has been found which is
applicable to the Sino-Soviet Bloc. A recent Soviet text Ll stated
that a motor vehicle tire plant requires 20,000 to 25,000 kwb of elec-
trical energy per 1,000 tires produced. On that basis, the tire indus-
try of the USSR would consume about 250 million kwh of electricity per
year.
B. Capital Investment.
No statistics have been noted on capital investment in the
rubber industry of the Sino-Soviet Bloc since World War II. In the
earlier days of the USSR, periodic announcements were made concerning
investments, which permit comparison between the rubber and chemical
industries during that period. In the mid-1920's, before the develop-
ment of synthetic rubber, the rubber industry received about 10 percent
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of the capital which went into the Soviet chemical industry. For
instance, the 1926-27 figure for chemicals was 60.1 million rubles 352/
compared with 6.3 million rubles for rubber. 353/ In the early 1930's
the USSR initiated a major program for the construction of four plants
to make synthetic rubber. Consequently, the proportion of capital in-
vested in rubber compared with that invested in chemicals rose to a peak
of 14 percent in 1933. 354 By 1936, however, this proportion had dropped
to about 7 percent (101 million rubles for rubber 355 compared with
1,535 million rubles for chemicals). 356/ J
No comparable statistics have been found covering the period
since 1940, so it is not possible to give an accurate estimate of
the amount invested in the industry to date, nor of its present
value. On the other hand, it is believed possible to make a general
estimate of investments during the Sixth Five Year Plan, based on
the planned physical expansion during that period. The following
factors may be significant:
1. Production of synthetic rubber is scheduled for the
greatest expansion of any product in the rubber and chemical indus-
tries -- 220 percent of production in 1955 compared with 204 percent
for mineral fertilizers and less than 200 percent for other chemical
products mentioned in the Sixth Five Year Plan.
2., Production of tires is to be doubled during the same
period; it is specified that seven major enterprises will be built
and put into operation for making tires and technical articles.
3. No percentage figure is given for the over-all expansion
of the chemical industry, Industrial production, however, is scheduled
to increase only 65 percent. It is evident, therefore, that the
planners are emphasizing expansion in the rubber industry during
1955-60.
In view of the above factors and of the available prewar
information, it is probable that expansion in the rubber industry will
receive capital investments in the range of 10 to 15 percent of those
devoted to the chemical industry. In a recent report 357/ the
investments in the chemical industry were estimated to be 50 billion
to 60 billion rubles during the Sixth Five Year Plan period. It
therefore seems probable that the expansion scheduled to take place
in the rubber industry will require 5 billion to 7.5 billion rubles.
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VI. Capabilities, Vulnerabilities, and Intentions.
A. Capabilities.
The Sino-Soviet Bloc is capable of meeting its strategic
requirements for rubber products. In certain fields, however,
Sovietitechnology.appears to be considerably behind that of the US.
For instance, in every country of the Bloc, with the exception of
Communist China, there have been press announcements to the effect
that tubeless tires were in production or being planned. Because
the Bloc has no supplies of butyl rubber, which is essential for
the production of tubeless tires, it is probable that this develop-
ment will fail from an economic point of view. There have been
several recent reports of failures of Soviet truck tires after only
a few thousand miles of service. The corresponding tires made in
the US would normally give 50,000 miles of service. A similar de-
ficiency in Czechoslovak-made tires has been reported, which would
indicate probable inferiority in manufacturing methods.
It was recently announced that the Voronezh Synthetic Rubber
Plant had begun production of oil-extended rubber. This development,
if it is in process, could have a considerable effect on the pro-
duction of synthetic rubber in the Sino-Soviet Bloc. Experience in
the US indicates that production can be increased at least 20 percent,
with no decrease in quality, by the use of oil extension. Soviet
scientists have been aware of this important improvement, but
until recently there has been no indication that they had succeeded
in applying it to their manufacturing processes.
On the other hand, it is improbable that the Sino-Soviet
Bloc will attempt in the foreseeable future to manufacture butyl
rubber on a commercial scale. Manufacture of this material, which
was developed in the US, requires temperatures of 140 degrees below
zero, and the process is extremely difficult. Large amounts of
special solvents obtained from petroleum are required, and the in-
formation obtained to date indicates that the Bloc does not have either
the equipment or the materials available to produce butyl rubber.
B. Vulnerabilities.
From a geographic point of view, the manufacture of synthetic
rubber by the Sino-Soviet Bloc is well dispersed. The largest plant
is that at Schkopau in East Germany and has a capacity of more than
70,000 tons, about 22 percent of the total Bloc capacity. Second in
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size is the plant at Voronezh, which is estimated to have a
capacity of slightly more than 50,000 tons, about 16 percent of the
total Bloc capacity. Raw materials -- other than synthetic rubber --
required by the Bloc rubber industry appear to be in adequate suppl ,
although the USSR does import quantities of Egyptian long-staple
cotton for making tire cord. In an emergency, domestic supplies of
cotton could be substituted without a serious impairment of quality.
As has been shown, strategic reserves of natural rubber probably
are more than would be needed to meet an emergency. It is probable
however, that the USSR is heavily dependent on East Germany for
supplies of certain special types of rubber and for rubber chemicals.
If these supplies were denied the USSR, a serious dislocation in th
industry might result.
Because the rubber industry in the Sino-Soviet Bloc is
operating at approximately rated capacity, it is unlikely that a
shift in the strategic intentions of the USSR would be indicated
by a pronounced change in the operations of the industry. A sudden
activity in the manufacture of specific war items, such as gas
masks, might well foreshadow aggressive intentions, but such a shif
would be difficult to detect.
The principal bulk item used by the military forces is,
of course, tires. Because Soviet truck sizes are standardized for
either military or nonmilitary use, a sudden shift to wartime con-
ditions would not involve radical changes in the operations of tire
plants. A recent report 358/ estimated that the Sino-Soviet Bloc
demand for tires during the first year of hostilities would be as
follows :
Military 6,197,000
Nonmilitary 8,255,000
Miscellaneous 91+0,000
Total 15,392,000
This number of tires would require about 292,000 tons of ru ber,
which is within the capacity and resources of the tire industry in he
Sino-Soviet Bloc. For these reasons, it is unlikely that Soviet
intentions can be judged by the operations of the rubber industry.
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S-E-C-R-E-T
APPENDIX A
METHODOLOGY
The methodology used in this report follows in general that used
in previous reports published on the rubber industry in the Sino-Soviet
Bloc. In preparing the tables showing the production of individual
plants, it was necessary to assume that where information to the con-
trary was lacking, the expanded total production of the product in
question had taken place at about the same rate in each plant. It is
assumed that methods found to increase efficiency or production in one
plant would quickly be adopted by plants of a similar type. Rubber
plants in the USSR are controlled by one central authority and tend to
be standardized to a greater extent than those in the US, where design
and operations are privately controlled. Fabricating plants usually
operate one shift per day; hence their production can be increased by
working longer hours. On the other hand, plants making synthetic
rubber and carbon black operate 24+ hours per day. Thus, although
minor increases in production can be effected by improvements in oper-
ation, substantial increases can be attained only by the addition of
more equipment.
Another limiting factor in production of rubber may be the availa-
bility of raw materials -- for example, in the case of the synthetic
rubber plant at Yerevan which makes Sovprene rubber from acetylene
produced from calcium carbide. A recent study has determined that the
amount of calcium carbide available for the production of Sovprene
would limit production to.25,000 tons per year. Because it is known
that the USSR has recently been trying to buy neoprene, which is the
US equivalent of Sovprene, it seems probable that production at Yerevan
has not been expanded.
The figures for the production of reclaimed rubber in most countries
of the Sino-Soviet Bloc are usually estimates because this material
is normally made in plants turning out finished products in which re-
claimed rubber is used as a component. Thus production is consumed in
the plant, and no quantitative figures are available. East Germany
has several plants devoted to making reclaimed rubber, which is shipped
to rubber fabricating plants. Information on these plants was the
basis for the figures given on p. 32, above.
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New material about the rubber industry of Communist China is bas d
on plant studies, economic reports on the industry before 1949, and
press reports published since the Communists came to power. Little
specific information is available on the status of individual plants
in China since 1949; hence the finished data are the product of many
bits of information. The Chinese Communist authorities are followi
a policy of increasing efficiency in the industry, a policy which ha
resulted in closing some less efficient plants and moving their equip-
ment. Information on these moves is fragmentary, and the exact number
of plants now in existence is uncertain. In the case of nonrubber tre
components, statistics were developed from unpublished reports on th se
subjects.
The methodology used to determine demand* is based on the produc
tion of motor vehicle tires, because Western statistics divide rubbe
consumption into that used in transportation goods and that used in
nontransportation goods. There usually is a general relationship
between the two categories. The great variety of nontransportation
goods produced and the fact that the number made in each country is
generally dependent on the social and economic development of that
particular area make it impossible to estimate consumption patterns
with any degree of accuracy. For transportation goods, attempts were
made to correlate the motor vehicle park and estimates of consumption
of motor fuel with production of tires in each of the Sino-Soviet Bloc
countries in an effort to refine the estimate of demand for rubber i
transportation goods. The imponderables of road conditions, the aver-
age ton-kilometers of travel, and the quality of tires defeated any
attempt to correlate data from the countries being studied with sta-
tistics from Western countries.
In preparing the data for material balances,** it was realized
that there is extensive intra-Bloc trade in natural and synthetic
rubber as well as in rubber products. Because statistics on this
trade are incomplete, it was believed that a more accurate picture of
the rubber situation in the Sino-Soviet Bloc would be presented by the
method used. Except for a small quantity of synthetic rubber which
appeared on the New York market in 1955 and was suspected of coming from.
East Germany, there have been no reports of the Bloc exporting rubber A
few tires have been shipped by Czechoslovakia to the Middle East, and
conversely, Italy has shipped some tires to Bulgaria. Because these
x See III, p. 73, above.
See IV, p. 85, above.
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shipments have been relatively small and were believed to counter-
balance each other, they have been ignored as being less than the
probable accuracy of the final estimates.
The figures for supply* were made up of known imports of natural
rubber plus domestic production of natural, synthetic, and reclaimed
rubber. Estimates of demand were developed from figures for produc-
tion of tires and other available data, following the methods dis-
cussed in previous reports. To check the accuracy of the results, the
data on imports of natural rubber over a period of several years have
been examined and compared with the estimated over-all figures for
demand. These calculations appear to confirm the figures shown in
Table 23.**
In preparing the figures for stockpiles,**-*' previous estimates
had to be revised because more accurate data had become available on
production of tires in the USSR in 1952 and in 1953. The net result
was that almost 50,000 tons less rubber probably were consumed in
those 2 years than had previously been estimated. This amount was
assumed to be available for stockpiling in addition to the amounts
previously estimated, making the total maximum stockpile about
300,000 tons at the end of 1952. As was stated, there is strong evi-
dence that a policy of reducing this reserve is now in effect.
* See II, p. 7, above.
* P. 68, above.
See II, B, p. 63, above.
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 25X1 B4d
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S-E-C-R-E-T
APPENDIX B
GAPS IN INTELLIGENCE
Very little specific information is available on the current
operations at the synthetic rubber plants in the USSR. New plants
reportedly have been erected or are in production at Ryshkovo
(51?42' N - 36?12' E) and Chkalov (51?45' N - 45?06' E), but, aside
from press notices, no data have been received on either plant.
1 A0481
E)
plant reportedly was under construction
rma,tionshasybeen received on this
in southern Siberia in 1953.
plant since 1954, when it was still under construction.
Estimates of production of tire plants in the USSR are based on
the assumption that expansion has taken place in.all of the plants,
t that at Yaroslavl', at about the same rate.
Information on the production of both synthetic rubber and tires in
the European Satellites, except for East Germany, is far from complete.
It would be helpful to know what progress is being made on the petro-
chemical complex (scheduled to make synthetic rubber) being built by
Hungary and Rumania,because, when in operation, this complex will be
a major industrial development for these countries.
A major gap in intelligence exists in knowledge of the cost of
constructing various facilities in the rubber industry. Although
figures may be obtained based on US experience, conditions in the
Sino-Soviet Bloc may alter the costs considerably. instance,
the extreme weather conditions at Usol ys might
costs by as much as 50 percent. Concomitant with this question is
that of manufacturing costs. Although there are some figures on the
retail selling price of some sizes of tires, these figures are for
only a few sizes and may or may not reflect plant costs.
Information on the rubber industry of China is fairly good through
1948. Since the Communists came to power, however, the reports have
been few in number and often contradictory. Although official imports
of natural rubber are reported, many shipments are consigned to other
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ports but are suspected of ending up in Communist China. Also they
is a considerable amount of rubber smuggled out of Indonesia, part of
which probably finds its way into China. All US sources seem alert to
report such smuggling, but the devices used by the Chinese Communis s
to circumvent the rubber embargo make detection extremely difficult
As to the industry within China, a campaign has been undertaken to
eliminate waste, not only of materials but also of manpower and equ p-
ment. Small plants have been closed, and usable equipment has been
moved to larger and more modern plants. Very few data, except such
information as that derived from press notices of quotas met, have een
published on these modern plants. Current information on China is e
weakest of any obtained from the Sino-Soviet Bloc.
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S-E-C-R-E-T
APPENDIX C
SOURCE REFERENCES
Evaluations, following the classification entry and designated
"Eval.," have the following significance:
Source of Information
Doc. - Documentary
1
- Confirmed by other
sources
A - Completely reliable
2
- Probably true
B - Usually reliable
3
- Possibly true
C - Fairly reliable
4
- Doubtful
D - Not usually reliable
5
- Probably false
- Not reliable
6
- Cannot be judged
F Cannot be judged
"Docu entary" refers to original documents of foreign governments
and organzations; copies or translations of such documents by a staff
officer; for information extracted from such documents by a staff officer,
all of whych may carry the field evaluation "Documentary."
Evaluati~4ns not otherwise designated are those appearing on the
cited documen_; those designated "RR" are by the author of this report.
No "RR" eval ition is given when the author agrees with the evaluation
on the cited document.
25X 1 Al.
2.
Wilso , Trees an
st Tubes ew or , , p. lk~u .
U. Ev4a1. RR 1.
3.
Ibid.,
14+2 ff.
U.
Eval. BR 1.
4.
Ibid.,
p k. 196 ff.
U.
Eval. RR 1.
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5. USSR, Embassy, Washington. The Great Stalin Five Year Plan,
1946, p. 9. U. Eval. Doc.
6. CIA. Chart no 13322, Evolution of the Institutional Structure
of the Soviet State, T97-577 U.
7. CIA. FDD Summary no 350, 27 Jan 55, Weekly Economic Informa-
tion Report, Eastern Europe. C. Eval. RR 2.
8. CIA. CIA RR 19, The Rubber Position of the Soviet Bloc,
19 Jan 53, p. A-1. S.
9. Ibid. C-4=. S.
10.
25X1A
11. CIA. CIA/RR 19 (8, above.), p. 6. S.
12. Izvestiya, 29 Jan 52. U. Eval. Doc.
Pravda, 23 Jan 53. U. Eval. Doc.
Planovoye khozyaystvo, Jan 54. U. Eval. Doc.
State, Moscow. Dsp 10021, 21 Jan 55. C. Eval. RR 1.
13.
14. Ibid., p. 9.
25X1A 15
16. Gt Brit, Rubber Study Group. Rubber Statistical Bulle-
vol 10, no 2, Nov 55. U. Eval. Doc.
25X1A 17.
18. Khimicheskaya promyshlennost', no 5, Moscow, Jul-Aug
p. 257-261. OFF USE. Eval. Doc.
19. CIA. CIA/RR 19 (8, above), p. B-8. S.
20. Ibid., p. C-62. S.
21. CIA. CIA/RR 19 (8, above).
22. Ibid., p. C-22. S.
23. Ibid., p. C-5. S.
24. Planovoye khozyaystvo, Jan 54. U. Eval. Doc.
26.
27. Gt Brit, Rubber Study Group. Rubber Statistical\
(16, above), p. 39. U. Eval. Doc.
28. CIA. CIA/RR 19 (8, above), p. C-73. S.
29. Ibid., p. 10. S.
30. Ibid., p. 16. S.
FOIAb3bl
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32.
25X1A
25X1X7
33. CIA. CIA/RR 19 (8, above).
34. Kel'tsev, V.V., and Tesner, P.A. Sazha svo stva proizvodstvo
25X1 A 35 ?
i primeneniye (Carbon Black Properties, Production and Use),
25X1 A 36.
37. Przeglad samochodowy, vol 1, no b, Warsaw, Jun U.
Eval. Doc.
38. Priroda, no 9, Sep 53, p. 23-30. U. Eval. Doc.
39. Tekstil'naya promyshlennost', Moscow, Oct 47. U. Eval. Doc.
40. Navy. ONI-2 -2, Jan 54. S. Eval. RR 1.
41. Rubber Age, Oct 55, p. 142. U. Eval. RR 1.
42. CIA. CIA RR 19 (8, above), p. E-4. S.
and 1 Feb 54. U. Eval. Doc.
43.
25X1 A 44.
45. CIA. CIA/EE , above), p. b.
46. Khimicheskaya promyshlennost', Jan 54. U. Eval. RR 3.
47. CIA. CIA RR 19 , above), p. E-12. S.
48. Pravda, 18 Jan 48. U. Eval. Doc.
49. CIA. CIA/RR 19 (8, above), p. E-12. S.
50. Izvestiya, 29 Jan 52. U. Eval. Doc.
51.
52. Khimicheskaya pro shlennost', Jan 54. U. Eval. Doc.
53.
25X1A
54.
MEMO
55. Planovo s , n, Jun p. .
25X1 A 56.
FOIAb3b1
57. CIA. CIA/RR PR-56, The Production and Consumption of Rubber in the
European Satellites, 1 May 54, p. 15. SUS ONLY.
58. Vecherni novini., no 73, 27 Mar 54, p. 1. U. Eval. Doc.
59? CIA. CIA RR 19 (8, above), p. 16. S.
60. CIA. CIA/RR PR-56 (57, above), p. 16. S/US ONLY.
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61
62
25X1 A 63
64
65.
66.
67.
68.
25X1 A 69.
70.
72.
STATSPEC
73.
74.
75.
76.
77.
78.
STATSPEC79
80.
81.
82.
83.
84.
25X1 A 85.
86.
25X1A 8
CIA/RR PR-56 (57, above), p. 33. S/US ONLY.
Tezhka promishlenost, Sofia, vol 3, no 9, 1954, p. 12-18.
U. Eval. Doc.
CIA. FDD Summary no 486, 28 Nov 55, Weekly Economic Info
Ibid., 7 Dec 55, p. HH 4? OFF USE. Eval. RR 2.
CIA. CIA/RR PR-56 (57, above), p. 17. S/US ONLY.
Ibid.
Ibid., p. 16. S/US ONLY.
Ibid., p. 89. s/US ONLY.
CIA. FDD Summary no 725, 23 Nov 55, Weekly Economic Info -
tion Report on Eastern Europe, p. 40. OFF USE. Eval. Doc
Ibid., 7 Dec 55, p. HH 4. OFF USE. Eval. RR 3.
CIA. CIA/RR PR-56 (57, above), p. 94. s/US ONLY.
CIA. FDD Special Translation no -13, 26 Feb 51. S. Eval. oc.
Natural Rubber News, New York, Jan 56, p. 9-10. U.
88. State, Duesseldorf. Dsp 133,
Eval. RR 1.
24 Oct 54, info 1954.
OIAb3b1
89. State, La Paz. Ds 147. 0
go.
25X1A
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25X1A 91
92
93
94?
95.
25X1 A 96.
98.
99.
no 273,
9 Feb
50, info
1949.
FOIAb3bl
108.
109
110
25X1A
111
112
113
114.
115.
116.
25X1A l117.
18-
119.
120.
121.
122.
123.
German Plastics Practice, Cambridge, Mass., 194b, p. 7U'(.
U. Eval. RR 1.
CIA. CIA/RR PR-56
(57,
above),
CIA. CIA/RR PR-56 (57, above
p. 24.
SUS
Radio Free Europe. Item 3376-55, 29 Apr 55.
25X1A6b
FOIAb3bl
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124.
25X1A 125.
126.
STATSPEC127.
130.
131.
132.
25X1 A33
134.
135.
136.
137.
138.
139.
14o.
11+1.
142.
143.
25X1A
144.
151.
STATSPEC
Translation no 395, 26 Jan 55, P. 199. OFF
Eval. Doc.
USSR. Khozyaystvennoye razvitiye stran narodnoy demokratili
cracies), Moscow, 1955, p. 11+5. U. Eval. Doc. (hereaft6r
referred to as USSR. Khozyaystvennoye)
CIA. FDD UG-1+19, 4 Nov 53. S/US ONLY. Eval. Doc.
Ibid.
State, Budapest. Dsp 137, 29 Jan 50. U. Eval. RR 1.
Hungary. "The Five Year Plan of the Hungarian People's
Republic," Hungary Bulletin, Budapest, 1950, p. 22-
U. Eval. Doc.
152. State/Gt Brit, Budapest. Hungarian Press Summary, no 105,
9 May 55. U. Eval. RR 3.
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154.
25X1 A 155.
156.
25X1A1571
158.
159.
160.
161.
162.
163-
164.
165.
166.
167.
25X1A
168.
169.
170.
171.
173.
174.
25X1 A 175.
176.
25X1 A 177
178.
25X1A179'
180.
181.
182.
25X1 A 183
Hungarian Central Statistical Office. Magyar statisztikai
zsebkonyv (Hungarian Statistical Handbook), Budapest, 19 8,
p. 1U. Eval. Doc.
Ibid.
State,.Budapest. Dsp 312, 5 Jan 54. C. Eval. RR 1.
CIA. CIA RR PR-56 (57, above), p. 24. S/US ONLY.
Ibid., p. 104. S/US ONLY.
CIA. CIA/RR PR-56 (57, above), p. 33. S/US ONLY.
Chemie-Ingeneur-Technik-Weinheim (Chemical Engineering Tech-
CIA. CIA/RR.PR-56 (57, above), p. 29. S/US ONLY.
Ibid., p. 30. S/US ONLY.
Sejm uchwala plan szestoletni (Parliament Decrees the Six
Year Plan), Warsaw, 1951. U. Eval. Doc.
Air. Treasure Island 151658, Apr 54. U. Eval. Doc. (tr of
Przemysl chemiczny, no 1, Jan 51. U)
State/Gt Brit, Warsaw. Polish Press Summary, 28 Dec 55,
-CIA. CIA/RR PR-56 (57, above), p. 21. S/US 0
FOIAb3b1
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184.
185.
25X1A
186.
187.
188.
189.
190.
25X1A191.
192.
193.
194.
195
25X1 A........196
197
198
199
200.
201.
203.
204.
205.
25X1A
206.
207.
25X1 A 209 ?
210.
211.
25X1 A 2~3 .
214.
CIA. cIA/RR PR-56 (57, above), p. 25. S/US ONLY.
CIA. CIA/RR PR-56+(57, above), p. 97. S/US ONLY-
Ibid., p. 45. S/US ONLY.
Ibid,, p. 106. S/US ONLY.
Ibid.
CIA. CIA/RR PR-;
Ibid.
CIA. CIA/RR PR-56 (57, above), P. 34.
State/Gt Brit, Warsaw. Polish Press Summary, 15 Dec
4 U Eval. RR 3-
55,,
P?
Przeglad samochodowy, vol 1, no 6, Warsaw, Jun 47. U.
Eval. Doc.
Sejm uchwala plan szestoletni (176, above).
CIA. FDD SuT many no 16 Feb 56, Weekly Economic Inf rma-
tion Report on Eastern Europe, p. 27. OFF USE. Eval. oc.
State Gt Brit, Warsaw. Polish Press Summary, 28 Dec 55? U.
State, Board of Economic Welfare.
Eval. RR 1.
-io8-
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25X1A 216.
217. Nev Times, no 50, Dec va 1`0-
218.
25X1 A 219.
220.
221.
222. State/Gt Brit, Bucharest. Rpt no 1956-15, 19 Jan 5b, p.
OFF USE. Eval. Doc.
25X1 A 223
224. BBC. Summary of World Broadcasts., no , pt II b, 12 Dec 55,
p. 9. U. Eval. RR 3.
225. CIA. CIA/RR PR-56 (57, above), p. 107. SUS ONLY.
226.
25X1A
227.
228.
229.
230.
25X1 A 231.
232.
233.
234.
235.
25X1A
236.
237.
238.
239.
21t0.
241.
242.
2J+3
24i-.
245.
CIA. CIA/RR PR-56 (57, above), P. 3
USSR. Khozyraystvennoye (129, above).
State/Gt Brit, Bucharest. Rumanian Press Review, no 944,
4 Feb 51. U. Eval. RR 2.
State, Bucharest. Dap 1953-5, 27 Dec 52. S. Eval. RR 1.
CIA. CIA/RR PR-56 (57, above), p. 31. S/US ONLY.
Aurora University, Shanghai. Monthly Bulletin, no 19,
Jun-Jul 48. U. Eval. RR 1.
Ibid.
Ibid.
State, Hong Kong. Dap 196, 18 Aug 55, p. 18, info 1955-
U. Eval. RR 1.
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21+7. CIA. FDD Summary no 950, 16 Dec 51+, info 4 Dec 51+.
OFF USE. Eval. Doc.
248.
25X1A
249.
251.
252.
253.
251+. Pauley, Edwin W. Report on Japanese Assets in Manchuria
25X1A
255.
256.
257.
258.
259.
25X1 A 260.
25X1A
261.
25X1 A 262.
FDD u-6729
263. State, Hong Kon
261+.
13 Nov 54. oFF
265. State, Hong Kong. Dsp 292, 15 Sep 54. C. Eval. RR 1.
266. Ibid., dsp 360, 29 Sep 55. C. Eval. RR 1.
267. Ibid., dsp 391, 25 Jun 56. C. Eval. RR 1.
268. Ibid., dsp 2333, 21 Jun 51+. s. Eval. RR 1.
269.
25X1A
270.
FOIIAb3b1
FOIAb3bl
Eval. 1.
FOI b3bl
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25X1 A 272.
273?
274+.
275.
25X1 A 276.
277.
25X1 A 278.
279.
282.
25X1A
283.
284.
285.
286.
287.
288.
289.
290.
291.
292.
25X1A
293.
29k.
295.
296.
297.
298.
25X1 A 299-
300.
FOIAb3bl
Hsinhua News Agency. uaiiy news r~~cuzsc, 2 t ~~.
1 D
Eva a o. MEN
Daily news release, Aug .
ency
News A
h
i
.
g
ua
n
Hs
Eval. RR 6.
Aurora University, Shanghai.
ul 1+8 . U. Eval. RR 1.
NIS 399, China, sec
ibid.
Ibid
Monthly Bulletin, no 19,
State, Hong Kong. Dsp )4-29, 14 Oct 52 . S. Eval. RR 1.
Ibid., dsp 378, 6 Sep 55. S. Eval. RR I.
Ibid., dsp 292, 15 Sep 54. S. Eval. RR 1.
Ibid., dsp 360, 29 Sep 55- S.
Ibid., dsp 392, 26 Jan 56. S.
Ibid., dsp 378, 6 Sep 55. S.
Eval. RR 1.
Eval. RR 1.
Gt Brit, Rubber Study Group. Rubber Statistical Bulletin,
vol 10, no 7, Apr 56. U. Eval. Doc.
State, Bern. Dsp 5, 2 Jul 53. R. Eval. F-6.
Gt Brit, Rubber Study Group. Rubber Statistical Bulletin,
vol 10, no 7, Apr 56. U. Eval. Doc.
6
.
ate. Bern. Dsp 5, 2 Jul 55. R. Eval. RR
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301.
25X1 A 304.
305.
306.
307.
308.
25X1A
309.
310.
311.
319.
320.
321.
322.
25X1 A 324.
325.
326.
327.
328.
329.
25X1 A 330.
331.
332.
Gt Brit, Rubber Study Group. Rubber Statistical Bulletin,
vol 10, no 5, Feb 56, p. 7-9. U. Eval. Doc.
State, Rangoon. Dsp 218. 30 De
State, Rangoon. Dsp 467, 30 Sep 55. OFF USE. Eval. RR 1.
The Economist, 17 Nov 53. U. Eval. RR 1.
State, Medan. Dsp 32, 5 Aug 55. OFF USE. Eval. RR 1.
CIA. CIA/RR 19 (8, above).
CIA. CIA/RR PR-56 (57, above).
CIA. CIA/RR PR-56 (57, above), p. 10. S/US ONLY.
CIA. CIA/RR 19 (8, above).
Ibid., p. E-10. S.
CIA. CIA/RR PR-56 (57, above), p. 27 if. S/US ONLY.
CIA. CIA/RR 19 ($, above), p.
CIA. CIA/RR PR-56 (57, above), P.
Ibid., p. 4O. S/Us ONLY.
Ibid.. 40-1+1. [S
CIA. CIA/ER PR-5? (57, above),
Ibid., p. 38. s/tMs ONLY.
S.
4+2. S/US ONLY.
p.
36.
s/US ONLY.
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CIA. CIA/RR PR-
333. Ibid., p. 41. S/US ONLY.
334?
335.
336.
337.
338-
339.
340.
341.
342.
343.
25X1A
344.
345.
S-E-C-R-E-T
CIA. CIA RRPR-56 (57, above
Ibid., p. 31. S/US ONLY.
FOIAb3bl
FOIAb3bl
FOIAb3bl
346 25X1 X7
347. State, to Port Baia. Usp , 1.
348. War Production Board. Lateral Study III, Chemical Requirements
for Rubber, 9 Sep 42. S. Eval. RR 1.
349. CIA. CIA RR 19 (8, above)
350. Nekrasov, N.N. Khimizatsiya v narodnom khozyayst Moscow
(Chemicals in the National Economy of the-USSR), ,
1955, p. 150. U. Eval. RR 3.
351. Ekonomichesko o pro ektirovaniya krupnykh idrostantsi v
ever osistemakh Economic Planning of Electrical Distribution
Systems), Moscow, 1953. U. Eval. Doc.
352. Segal, L., and Santalov, A.A. Soviet Union Yearbook, London,
1929, p. 152. U. Eval. RR 1.
353. Council for Economic and Industrial Research, Inc. Rpt A-10,
The Rubber Industry of the USSR, by Elizabeth Marbury,
Apr 55, p? 57? U? Eval. RR 1.
354. Zhurnal khimicheskoy promyshlennosti, no 2, 1933, p? 11.
U. Eval. RR 1.
355. Council for Economic and Industrial Research, Inc. Rpt A-10
(353, above).
S -E-C -R-E-T
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25X1 A 356
357.
CIA. ORR Project 22.862, Ca ital Investments in the Chemi L
Industry (to be published). S.
358.
25X1A
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SECRET-
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IN