Abstract: A process for the manufacture of vinyl chloride copolymers soluble in lacquer solvents with a clear solution consisting of copolymerizing vinyl chloride and at least one other olefinically-unsaturated compound copolymerizable with vinyl chloride under suspension copolymerization conditions in an aqueous dispersion and in the presence of (a) a monomer-soluble polymerization catalyst, (b) a water-soluble salt of a maleic acid anhydride mixed polymerizate of maleic acid anhydride, an olefinically unsaturated ester or ether of at least 7 carbon atoms, and another vinyl monomer, (c) from 0.003% to 0.007% by weight of a polyvinyl alcohol having a low viscosity and a high saponification number and (d) from 0.03% to 0.05% by weight of sodium chloride, whereby a vinyl chloride copolymer is obtained having the majority of its particles of a size between 0.1 and 0.5 mm.