 An October 1989 paper prepared for the Politburo ("Schürer-Papier", after its principal author Gerhard Schürer) projected a need to increase export surplus from around DM2bn in 1990 to over DM11bn by 1995 in order to stabilise debt levels.Much of the debt originated from attempts by the GDR to export its way out of its international debt problems, which required imports of components, technologies, and raw materials; as well as attempts to maintain living standards through imports of consumer goods.The GDR was internationally competitive in some sectors such as mechanical engineering and printing technology.