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UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE Office of the Secretary CHARLES SAWYER, SECRETARY WASHINGTON 25, D. C. Advance Release for Sunday A.M.'s November 12, 1950 G=128 In a statement concerning U. S. trade with China, Secretary of Commerce Charles Sawyer reported today that Commerce Department controls over exports have withheld strategic materials from Communist China. At the same time, he pointed out, United States private traders have continued to obtain valuable imports from China. These include significant quantities of tungsten, tin, tung oil, hog bristles, wool, animal hair, and feathers, as well as tea and spices. Critical and strategic materials began to be withheld from that country under Department of Commerce export licensing policies instituted early in 1949. These controls, Secretary Sawyer reported, have resulted in a decline in total exports to China from $273,400,000 in 1948, to $82,600,000 in 1949, and to $33 million through August 1950. Our imports, however, have held steady and have substantially exceeded exports in 1949 and 1950. Moreover, valuable items have continued to be imported in significant quantities. Im- ports of tungsten, for example, which is used in the steel industry, were 3,923,000 pounds in 1948; 4,594,000 pounds in 1949; and 6,668,000 pounds from January to July 1950. The Secretary pointed out, moreover, that shipments of raw cotton, which is of little strategic significance and was in relatively free supply until recently, make up almost 85% of our exports to China this year. Even such shipments, however, have now been shut off. With particular reference to the recent widespread interest in shipments of scrap rubber, mineral oil and vaseline, and certain steel products, Comm--DC--10246