Trade Policies of the former USSR

[glevy@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

LYNN TURGEON, PROFESSOR EMERITUS OF ECONOMICS, HOFSTRA UNIVERSITY, wrote:

> As soon as the Nazis got back to full employment -- as a result of deficit
> financing and a neut ralized monet ary policy -- they adopted the same
> foreign
> trade policy as the former Soviet Union. Imports became the fruits of foreign
> trade and export s the costs. This was also the position of Adam Smith in
> answering the mercantilists. Lynn ecoelt@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
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Hi, Lynn. We have a common friend, BTW, in Mary Rose L.

I don't really understand the above as it applies to the USSR:

(1) What time period are you talking about? The '30's? The '80's?

(2) Do you mean foreign trade between the USSR and other "socialist"
nations (i.e. COMECON)? Or do you mean trade between the USSR and
capitalist nations?

(3) Isn't it important to remember the relative isolation of the Soviet
economy and its lack of integration in the world capitalist economy and
for most of its history the lack of reliance on imports from capitalist
economies?

(4) As regards exports and the prices paid for imports, weren't there
foreign policy (i.e. political) considerations as well that affected
trade policy (e.g. consider trade policy towards Africa)?

Jerry




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