U.S. CONTROL OF EXPORTS

Press, Volume LXXXV, Issue 25954, 7 November 1949, Page 7

U.S. CONTROL OF EXPORTS

GOODS WITH WAR POTENTIAL MOVE TO BLOCK SHIPMENT TO RUSSIA WASHINGTON, November 4. lhe United States Government today placed rigid controls on the shipment of strategic goods to practically the whole world to prevent reshipment to the Soviet bloc. The Commerce Department’s definition of strategic goods is those that might contribute to the Soviet’s war potential. Communist China and LatinAmerica are particularly covered by the new controls. Officials said that the step was taken more with the idea of averting future reshipment difficulties than because of any great current traffic in reshipments to Russian-dominated areas. Hitherto, the department applied rigid controls only to Europe and adjacent areas, mostly along the Mediterranean’s southern rim. The new action extends'the control powers to any place in the world except Canada, which has always been in a relatively uncontrolled class even in war time. The number of strategic commodities involved totalled 100, and included special types of puncture-seal motor tyres, refined industrial lubricating oils, crude asbestos, raw mica, certain iron and steel products, electrical generators, transmission apparatus. large electrical motors, X-ray apparatus, mining machinery, and petroleum field equipment. The Commerce Department at the same time released the export controls on about 50 non-strategic commodities.