FOREIGN SHIPPING TO NORTH VIETNAM DURING MARCH 1966

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP78T02095R000800070054-6
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 17
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Document Release Date: April 1, 2008
• Sequence Number: 54
• Publication Date: April 1, 1966
• Content Type: IM

Approved For Release 2008/04/15: CIA-RDP78TO2095R000800070054-6
SECRET
/F.L1,ic~~,A CIAJRR EM 66-12
April. 1966
FOREIGN SHIPPING
TO NORTH VIETNAM DURING MARCH 1966
MORI
SECRET
GROUP 1
Excluded from automatic
downgrading and
declassification
Approved For Release 2008/04/15: CIA-RDP78TO2095R000800070054-6
 Approved For Release 2008/04/15: CIA-RDP78TO2095R000800070054-6
Approved For Release 2008/04/15: CIA-RDP78TO2095R000800070054-6
 Approved For Release 2008/04/15: CIA-RDP78TO2095R000800070054-6
The data in this memorandum are preliminary and subject to
modification as additional information becomes available. Significant
changes may occur in data on ship arrivals and cargoes from Com-
munist China and, to a lesser extent, in data on cargoes carried by
ships of the Free World. All data on cargoes carried are expressed
in metric tons. Data on Soviet and Eastern European ship arrivals
and cargoes and on Free World ship arrivals are not likely to be
changed significantly. As required, changes will be reported in sub-
sequent memorandums.
S-E-C-R-E-T
Approved For Release 2008/04/15: CIA-RDP78TO2095R000800070054-6
 Approved For Release 2008/04/15: CIA-RDP78TO2095R000800070054-6
Page
Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
1. Communist Shipping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
2. Free World Shipping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
3. Cargoes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
1. Foreign-Flag Ship Arrivals in North Vietnam, February,
March, and First Quarter 1966 . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
2. Tonnage of Foreign-Flag Ship Arrivals in North Vietnam,
February, March, and First Quarter 1966 . . . . . . . 9
3. Identified North Vietnamese Imports Carried by Foreign-
Flag Ships, March 1966 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
4. Identified North Vietnamese Exports Carried by Foreign-
Flag Ships, March 1966 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Photographs
Deck Cargo of Trucks and Mi-6 Helicopter Crates Delivered
to Haiphong in March by the Soviet Ship Sovetsk
following page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
S -F - C, -R - F - T
Approved For Release 2008/04/15: CIA-RDP78TO2095R000800070054-6
 Approved For Release 2008/04/15: CIA-RDP78T02095R000800070054-6
FOREIGN SHIPPING
TO NORTH VIETNAM DURING MARCH 1966*
Summary
The lowest recorded number of calls by Free World ships,
an unusually high level of Soviet shipping, and an exceptionally
large tonnage of seaborne imports highlighted foreign shipping
activities for North Vietnam in March. There were only 35
calls by foreign ships at North Vietnamese ports, compared
with a monthly average of 44 calls in 1965, but unusually large
volumes of cargoes were carried, particularly by Communist
ships.
Recent restrictive measures taken by the British and
Greek governments brought about a further withdrawal of
Free World ships from trade with North Vietnam, depressing
Free World shipping to the lowest levels on record. The six
Free World ships that called at North Vietnam in March in-
cluded a Cypriot-flag ship under time charter to North Vietnam
and five Hong Kong - owned ships under charter to Communist
China. The arrivals of Chinese Communist and Eastern Euro-
pean ships were similar to the 1965 monthly averages, with
13 and 4 visits, respectively, but the 12 calls by heavily laden
Soviet ships represented nearly double the 1965 monthly aver-
age, as shown in the following tabulation:
The estimates and conclusions in this memorandum repre-
sent the best judgment of this Office as of 19 April 1966. For
details on ship arrivals and the type and distribution of
cargoes, See Tables 1, 2, 3, and 4.
S-E-C-R-E-T
Approved For Release 2008/04/15: CIA-RDP78T02095R000800070054-6
 Approved For Release 2008/04/15: CIA-RDP78TO2095R000800070054-6
1966
Monthly Average
February
March -
1965
37
35
44
25
29
23
USSR
10
12
7
Eastern Europe
1
4
4
Communist China.
14
13
12
Cuba
0
0
Negl.
Free World
12
6
United Kingdom
11
5
11
Other
1
1
10
Exceptionally large imports of fertilizer, petroleum
products, and timber pushed total seaborne imports 64 percent
above the 1965 monthly average, despite below-average deliver-
ies of all other major categories of imports. Communist ships
carried 83 percent of seaborne imports. No cargoes of arms
or ammunition were identified, although deliveries included
two Soviet Mi-6 (Hook) helicopters, various types of trucks,
and large quantities of construction materials and equipment.
No bituminous coking coal arrived by sea in March, as Com-
munist China apparently resumed shipment of this commodity
by rail.
Coal, most of which went to Communist China, accounted
for 86 percent of total seaborne exports. Exports of coal
would have been substantially larger if supplies at Cam Pha
had not been exhausted late in March so that three ships wait-
ing to load had to depart empty. Extraordinarily large ship-
ments from Cam Pha since last October apparently had out-
stripped the productive capacity of the mines. Exports of
cement., which declined throughout last year and. were :non-
existent in January, were the heaviest since last June, but
no exports of apatite or pig iron were noted. The lack of ex-
ports of these important earners of foreign exchange is puzzling
because the rail line connecting Lao Cai with Haiphong has
apparently been open most of the time since December.
S-E-C-R-E-T
Approved For Release 2008/04/15: CIA-RDP78TO2095R000800070054-6
 Approved For Release 2008/04/15: CIA-RDP78TO2095R000800070054-6
1. Communist Shipping
Foreign Communist ships made 29 calls at North Vietnamese ports
in March. Thirteen were made by ships of Chinese Communist registry,
12 by Soviet ships, and 4 by Polish ships. The 12 calls by Soviet ships
was nearly double the average number of calls per month made by these
ships in 1965 and was the highest monthly total recorded for Soviet ships
since January 1965. Arrivals of Chinese and Eastern European ships
approximated the average levels of 1965.
Tonnages of cargoes identified aboard the Communist ships, inbound
as well as outbound, were the largest detected in any single month since
the end of 1964. The shares of seaborne cargoes carried by Communist
ships also reached new peaks, as shown below:
Total seaborne cargoes
Communist ships
Free World ships
Imports
Communist ships
Free World ships
Communist ships
Free World ships
1965
First quarter
1966
March
1966
100
100
100
37
59
74
63
41
26
100
100
100
64
69
83
36
31
17
27
53
67
73
47
33
Soviet and Chinese ships accounted for 98 percent of the cargoes
carried by Communist ships. Soviet ships carried the major share of
identified imports, delivering unusually large volumes of fertilizer,
petroleum, and timber. Except for two Soviet ships that carried timber
from Cambodia while operating under time charter to North Vietnam and
another that arrived with fertilizer from North Korea, all Soviet ships
sailed from Soviet Black Sea ports. Other cargo identified aboard the
Soviet ships included two Mi-6 helicopters, trucks, and construction
equipment (see the photographs). Of the nine Soviet ships that departed
S-E-C-R-E-T
Approved For Release 2008/04/15: CIA-RDP78TO2095R000800070054-6
 Approved For Release 2008/04/15: CIA-RDP78TO2095R000800070054-6
from North Vietnam in March, one loaded general cargo for the USSR,
six loaded coal for Free World countries, and only two left '.n ballast.
Cargoes identified aboard incoming Chinese Communist ships con-
sisted of rice from China and fertilizer and miscellaneous general. cargo
(including 34 trucks)from Eastern European countries. The two Chinese
ships arriving from European ports were under charter to the Chinese-
Polish Shipbrokers Company (Chipolbrok). Chinese ships carried the
major share of seaborne exports. All but two of the 12 Chinese ships
that departed from North Vietnam in March carried coal back to China.
The remaining two picked up miscellaneous general cargoes for destina-
tions in Eastern Europe.
2. Free World Shipping
The total of six Free World ships that arrived at North Vietnamese
ports in March was the lowest number for any month in recent years.
British-flag ships, all Hong Kong - owned and sailing under time charters
to Communist China, accounted for five calls, four of which were made
by ships owned by companies controlled by Communist China, The only
other call by a Free World ship was made by a Cypriot-flag ship under
charter to North Vietnam.
A principal cause of the decreased level of Free World ship activity
in March was the formal and informal restrictive steps taken recently
by Athens and London, respectively. The Greek Royal Dec:?ee prohibiting
calls at North Vietnam by all Greek-flag ships, with the exception of
those having unbreakable charter commitments, went into effect on 12
March and was cited by several Greek shipowners who refused to permit
further voyages to North Vietnam by their ships. Some British ship-
owners, based in both Hong Kong and London, also took steps to withdraw
their ships from trade with North Vietnam, acknowledging that they were
responding to informal pressures from London.
The decline in Free World shipping activity led to new :_ows for the
aggregate volume of seaborne cargoes carried in both directions by Free
World ships calling at North Vietnam in March.
Except for the Cypriot-flag ship, which delivered fertilizer from
Italy, all Free World ships arrived at North Vietnam from Communist
Chinese ports. Two arrived with cargo, and one delivered only a small
number of dump trucks to the coal port at Cam Pha..
S-E-C-R-E-T
Approved For Release 2008/04/15: CIA-RDP78TO2095R000800070054-6
 Approved For Release 2008/04/15: CIA-RDP78TO2095R000800070054-6
SECRET
DECK CARGO OF TRUCKS (ABOVE) AND MI-6 HELICOPTER CRATES (BELOW) DELIVERED TO
HAIPHONG IN MARCH BY THE SOVIET SHIP SOVETSK
SECRET
Approved For Release 2008/04/15: CIA-RDP78TO2095R000800070054-6
 Approved For Release 2008/04/15: CIA-RDP78TO2095R000800070054-6
All nine Free World ships sailing from North Vietnam in March
were fully loaded. Seven carried coal to China, and two loaded cement
for Cambodia and Ceylon.
3. Cargoes
Identified cargoes of foreign ships handled at North Vietnamese
ports in March totaled 230, 200 tons, 15 percent more than the average
monthly volume in 1965. This volume resulted from the second highest
monthly total of identified imports and was accomplished in spite of a
lower-than-average volume of exports, as shown below:
Thousand Metric Tons a
Monthly Average March
1965 1966
Total seaborne cargoes
Imports
Exports
200.x+
1+2.8 135.7
94. 4
a. Because of rounding, components do not add to the
totals shown.
Identified imports consisted for the most part of extraordinarily
large imports of fertilizer, petroleum products, and timber. The volumes
of other major categories of seaborne imports were below 1965 levels.
Imports of fertilizers totaled 41, 900 tons, three times the 1965 monthly
average. About one-half of the fertilizer was of Soviet origin, and most
of the remainder arrived from Italy and Poland. Imports of petroleum
products were the largest since December and totaled 22, 500 tons, com-
pared with the 1965 monthly average of about 14, 000 tons; the entire
amount was delivered by Soviet ships from Black Sea ports.
All but 200 tons of the 6, 800 tons of bulk foodstuffs delivered in March
arrived from Communist China on Chinese ships, and all of the 4, 500 tons
of Cambodian timber was delivered by Soviet ships chartered to North
Vietnam.
The 18, 900 tons of imports of miscellaneous general cargoes approxi-
mated the 1965 monthly average and included two Soviet Mi-6 helicopters;
Approved For Release 2008/04/15: CIA-RDP78TO2095R000800070054-6
 Approved For Release 2008/04/15: CIA-RDP78T02095R000800070054-6
trucks from the USSR, East Germany, and Communist China; large
quantities of Soviet construction machinery and material; anal marine
diesel engines from East Germany and the USSR. No shipments of arms
or ammunition were detected.
No bituminous coking coal was noted arriving by sea from Communist
China in March, as China resumed full-scale use of rail lines for these
shipments. Rail shipments of up to 20, 000 tons were autho:?ized for
March by Chinese and Vietnamese railroad officials. Seaborne shipments
from their inception in November through the end of February had. averaged
8, 400 tons a month.
Seaborne exports from North Vietnam in March. consisted of 117, 100
tons of coal, 13, 000 tons of cement, and 5, 700 tons of miscellaneous
general cargoes. Communist China once again was the major importer
of North Vietnam's coal, taking 87, 000 tons via the sea route. Japan and
France with shipments totaling 18, 400 tons and 11, 700 tons., respectively,,
took the remainder, which was carried by Soviet ships.
The volume of North Vietnam's seaborne exports of coal undoubtedly
would have exceeded the high volumes of January and February had not
supplies at Cam Pha been exhausted early in the fourth wee'-, of March.
At least three ships waiting to load coal had to leave Cam Pha empty,
and others may have been turned away. The reason for the shortage is
not known, but it appears that the exceptionally large volumes shipped
since October outstripped production capabilities at the Cam Pha mines.
The average volume of North Vietnam's seaborne coal exports from
January through October 1965 was 87, 100 tons a month, but the rate of
shipment increased nearly 50 percent to 129, 600 tons a month during the
five months ending on 31 March 1966.
Exports of cement, which declined throughout 1.965 and disappeared
altogether in January, amounted to 13, 000 tons in March after attaining a
volume of 8, 100 tons in February. The reappearance of exports of
cement follows the US bombing pause, which was used by North Vietnam
to carry out a substantial program to repair damaged transport facilities.
No shipments of pig iron or apatite were detected, and the continued
absence of shipments of these commodities remains unexplained. No
apatite has been shipped since segments of the rail lines connecting the
mines at Lao Cai with Haiphong were cut last July, although the line
apparently has been open most of the time since mid-December. Recent
North Korean bids to charter a ship to carry North Vietnamese apatite
CF'_C"_R_F._T
Approved For Release 2008/04/15: CIA-RDP78T02095R000800070054-6
 Approved For Release 2008/04/15: CIA-RDP78TO2095R000800070054-6
may, however, portend an early resumption of these shipments. No pig
iron has been shipped from North Vietnam on foreign ships since
December, but these exports presumably have not been affected by the
air attacks.
S-E-C-R-E-T
Approved For Release 2008/04/15: CIA-RDP78TO2095R000800070054-6
 Approved For Release 2008/04/15: CIA-RDP78TO2095R000800070054-6
Foreign-Flag Ship Arrivals in North Vietnam a/
February, March, and First Quarter 1966
February
March
First
Quarter
1966 b7
Percent
Percent
Percent
Num-
ber
of
Total
Num-
ber
of
Total
Nun-
ber
of
Total
Total
37
100.0
35
100.0
120
100.0
Communist countries
25
67.6
29
82.9
84
70.0
USSR
10
27.0
12
34.3
31
25.8
'Eastern Europe
1
2.7
4
11.4
a
7.5
Bulgaria
1
2.7
1
0.8
Poland
4
11.4
3
6.7
Communist China
14
37.8
13
37.1
43
35.8
Cuba
1
0.8
Free World
12
32.4
6
17.1
35
30.0
Cyprus
1
2.9
2
1.7
Greece
1
2.7
4
3.3
Italy
1
o.8
United Kingdom
11
29.7
5
14.3
2)
24.2
~. Because of rounding, components may not add to the totals shown.
1). Including the arrival of one Chinese Communist ship not previously
reported.
Approved For Release 2008/04/15: CIA-RDP78TO2095R000800070054-6
 Approved For Release 2008/04/15: CIA-RDP78TO2095R000800070054-6
Tonnage of Foreign-Flag Ship Arrivals in North Vietnam a/
February, March, and First Quarter 1966
February
March
First
Quarter
1966 9
Thousand
Thousand
Thousand
Gross
Gross
Gross
Num-
Flag ber
Register
Tons
Num-
ber
Register
Tons
Num-
ber
Register
Tons
Total 37
205.4
35
202.4
120
676.8
Communist countries
25
133.2
29
176.4
84
-85.0
USSR
10
62.0
12
76.4
31
214.2
Eastern Europe
1
5.8
4
28.8
9
68.3
Communist China
14
65.4
13
71.1
43
192.6
Cuba
1
9.7
Free World
12
72.2
6
26.1
36
191.8
a. Many Soviet and Eastern European ships calling at North Vietna-
mese ports pick up or discharge only small parts of their total
cargoes in North Vietnam, and many of the Free World ships only
pick up export cargoes. For this reason, with the possible excep-
tion of Chinese Communist ships, aggregate tonnage of ships calling
is not closely correlative to actual volume of cargoes moving into
and out of North Vietnam, but these data are of value as indications
of relative changes in the volume of shipping. Because of rounding,
components may not add to the totals shown.
b. Including the arrival of one Chinese Communist ship not previ-
ously reported.
S-E-C-R-E-T
Approved For Release 2008/04/15: CIA-RDP78TO2095R000800070054-6
 Approved For Release 2008/04/15: CIA-RDP78TO2095R000800070054-6
Identified North Vietnamese Imports Carved by ig Fl S 'j p:s a/
March 1966
Ammonium
Sulfate Grain
and Other and Other Miscel-
Flag Fertilizers Petroleum Foodstuffs Coal Timber laneous Total
Total 41.9 22.5 6.8 0 4_5 18.9 94.4
Communist countries 31.9 22.5 6.8 0 4.5 13.1 78.7
USSR 21.9 22.5 4-5 7.6 56.5
Eastern Europe 0.2 2.0 2.1
Communist China b/ 10.0 6.6 3.5 20.1
Cub a
10.0 0 0 0 0 5.7 15.7
a. Identified imports include some estimates of bulk cargoes, using methods which have proved
to be highly reliable. Because of rounding, components may not add to the totals shown.
An additional unknown quantity of imports may have been carried by Chinese Communist ships.
Approved For Release 2008/04/15: CIA-RDP78TO2095R000800070054-6
 Approved For Release 2008/04/15: CIA-RDP78TO2095R000800070054-6
Table 4
Identified North Vietnamese Exports
Carried by Foreign-Flag Ships J
March 1966
Thousand Metric Tons
Commodity
Flag Coal
Apatite
Cement
Pig Iron
Miscel-
laneous
Total
Total 117.1
0
13.0
0
5.7
135.7
Communist countries
86.1
0
0
0
5.4
91.5
USSR
30.1
1.3
31.3
Eastern Europe
1.6
1.6
Communist China./
56.0
2.6
58.6
Cuba
Free World
31.0
0
13.0
0
0.2
a. Identified exports include some estimates of bulk cargoes, using
methods which have proved to be highly reliable. Because of rounding,
components may not add to the totals shown.
b. An additional unknown quantity of exports may have been carried by
Chinese Communist ships.
S-E.-C-R-E-T
Approved For Release 2008/04/15: CIA-RDP78TO2095R000800070054-6
 Approved For Release 2008/04/15: CIA-RDP78TO2095R000800070054-6
Pr/irI 1Ai t
SECRET
Approved For Release 2008/04/15: CIA-RDP78TO2095R000800070054-6