SOVIET SEABORNE SHIPMENTS TO NORTH VIETNAM: PLANS FOR 1968 ( ER IM 68-41)

Created: 4/1/1968

OCR scan of the original document, errors are possible

Secret

CIA HISTORICAL REVIEW PROGRAM RELEASE AS8

OF INTELLIGENCE

Intelligence Memorandum

Soviet Seaborne Shipments

orth Vietnam: Plans8

EB18

COPY NO.

CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY Directorate of Intelligence8

INTELLIGENCE MEMORANDUM

Soviet Seaborne Shipments to North Vietnam: Plans for8

Summary

The USSR has announced plans to increaseshipments to North Vietnam byercent The imp lice growth in North Vietnamese imports from the USSR above7 level isonsless than the increases6 Aboutdditional ship arrivals would be needed to carry the increase in tonnage planned

In the first quartermports from the USSR ranercent higher than the monthly average All of this increase consisted ofof petroleum and foodstuffs; these commodities probably account for moat of the planned grouch for the year.

Because no deliveries of Soviet weapons have been detected entering North Vietnam by sea, thepercent increase isseful guide of intentions concerning weapons deliveries.

Hot*: This nemoSir* jj*-IA.

It was prepared* Offioe of toc^oxtio Research.

-SEeRirr-

Planned Increase8

1- The Soviet Ministry of the Maritime Fleet has announced that deliveries by Soviet ships to Haiphong* will increase byercent percent growth would raise North Vietnameseimports from the USSRetric tons7 to moreonsnof this size would be smaller in bothand absolute terms than those67 The year of greatest growthhen North Vietnam's imports from the USSR roseercent, as shown in the following tabulation:

Thousand Metric Tons

Vcar

Total

86

Bae

on unroun

Increaseover

Previous YearYear a/

N

Record in8 and Prospects

2. The monthly average of North Vietnameseimports from the USSR in the first quarter8 wasercent larger than the monthly average Petroleum and foodstuffs accounted for all of^the increase in the first quarter, as shown in the

of average monthly imports from

roiiowing

Aboutercent of Horth Vietnam's imports bu eea? were ds leered tc the port of Rsiphonc.

Imports from the i'SSff -nade upercent of the total volume delivered by Soviet ships ?he remaining aargoeaorth Korea, Cambodia, Eastern Europe, -Japan, ana Singapore.

Metric Tons

Monthly Averages a/

Commodity

8

Petroleum Bulkb/

60

600

500

^onents may not add to tk.

b. This category includes metal products and unidentified

The pace at which petroleum will bo imported in the remainder of the year will depend for the most part on the level of economic and logistic activity; actual imports of foodstuffs will depend on theof the rice harvests. Imports of theseprobably account for most of the planned increase in total seaborne imports from tho USSR

Arrivals and Congestion

increase in Soviet exports to

ei*uire aPProximltelvdditional ship arrivals and would raise the

Sovict shiP ^rivalsl per month 7 to6 per month in Monthly '

Monthly Averages

Quarte:

2 1

4. Thirty additional Soviet ship arrivals8 should not worsen ship congestion in Haiphong appreciably. Many will be tankers, which are easier to schedule, and which do not compete with dry cargo ships for berths and cargo-handling equipment.

Original document.

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