http://en.wikipedia....nomic_relationsExpanded economic relationship
Soviet provision of raw materials and other help
Under the aegis of the economic agreements, Soviet-German exports and imports increased tenfold.[42] While some slowdowns and negotiations occurred, the Soviet Union met all of its requirements under the agreement.[132] It became a major supplier of vital materials to Germany, including petroleum, manganese, copper, nickel, chrome, platinum, lumber and grain.[133] During the first period of the agreement (February 11, 1940 to February 11, 1941), Germany received:[134][135]
* 139,500 tons of cotton
* 500,000 tons of iron ores
* 300,000 tons of scrap metal and pig iron
Soviet goods were freighted to Brest-Litovsk[128], through occupied Polish territories and then shifted to European gauge track to Germany to circumvent the British naval blockade.[98] The Soviets also granted Germany the right to transit for German traffic to and from Romania, Iran, Afghanistan and other countries in the east, while reducing by 50 per cent freight rates to Manchukuo, which was under Japanese control.[128] Soviet exports to Germany, using German figures, which do not count products still in transit during Operation Barbarossa (which came in after June 1941), including:[136][137]
1939 1940 1941
(1st 6 mos.) Soviet Figures
(Sept 1939-1941)
Oil Products 5.1 617.0 254.2 941.7
Grains 0.2 820.8 547.1 1611.1
Manganese 6.2 64.8 75.2 165.2
Phosphates 32.3 131.5 56.3 202.2
Technical oils & fats 4.4 11.0 8.9 NA
Chromium 0.0 26.3 0.0 23.4
Copper 0..0 7.1 7.2 NA
Nickel 0.0 1.5 0.7 NA
Legumes 10.9 47.2 34.8 NA
Tin 0.0 0.8 0.0 NA
Platinum 0.0 1.5 1.3 NA
Chemicals:Finished 0.9 2.9 0.2 NA
Chemicals:Unfinished 0.9 2.6 1.0 NA
Raw Textiles 9.0 99.1 41.1 171.4
Wood Products 171.9 846.7 393.7 1227.6
Oil Cake 0.0 29.0 8.6 41.8
*thousands of tons
The Soviet figures only include imports after September 1939 and differ, in part, because they include products that were in transit during Operation Barbarossa were not yet counted in the German figures, which count only the first six months of 1941.[136]
The Soviet Union also bought and shipped other materials to Germany, such as rubber[133] from India.[138] The Soviets shipped approximately 800 million deutschmarks of goods.[138] Materials Germany imported from other countries using the Soviet Trans-Siberian Railway and from Afghanistan and Iran via the Soviet Union as an intermediary, including:[139]
1939 1940 1941
(1st 5 mos.)
Rubber NA 4.5 14.3
Copper NA 2.0 2.8
Soybeans NA 58.5 109.4
Whale & Fish oil NA 56.7 46.2
Nuts NA 9.3 12.1
Tinned Foods NA 5.0 3.8
Textiles 0.0 19.0 17.0
Legumes 0 7.0 2.0
Dried fruit 8.0 42.0 8.0
*thousands of tons
The trade pact helped Germany to surmount the British blockade of Germany.[98] By June of 1940, Soviet imports comprised over 50% of Germany's total overseas imports, and often exceed 70% of total German overseas imports.[140]
The Soviet Union further helped Germany to avoid the British blockade by providing a U-boat base at Basis Nord.[138] In addition, the Soviets provided Germany with access to the Northern Sea Route for both cargo ships and raiders (though only the raider Komet used the route before the German invasion of the USSR), which forced Britain to protect sea lanes in both the Atlantic and the Pacific.[141]
There had never been such intensive trade between Germany and the Soviet Union as that which took place during the eighteen months of 1940 to June 1941.[142] Soviet imports of chrome, manganese and platinum, for which Germany relied entirely on imports, made up 70% of Germany's total imports of those materials.[143] While the Soviet Union provided 100% of German imports of rye, barley and oats, this was 20% of the amount of the total German harvest.[143] Three quarters of Soviet oil and grain exports, two thirds of Soviet cotton exports and over 90% of Soviet wood exports were to the Reich alone.[143] Germany supplied the Soviet Union with 31% of its imports, which was on par with United States imports into the Soviet Union.[143] Germany supplied 46% of Soviet machine tool imports, and was its largest such supplier.[143]
Particularly important were grain, manganese and chrome -- vital ingredients of the German war economy that now faced the British naval blockade.[144] In terms of imports and exports, the total balanced out at 500 million reichsmarks in either direction, but the strategic gain to Hitler was far greater than that to Stalin.[144]