Soviet Foreign Trade Channels

Trade and contacts among nations can help pre vent war. A characteristic of the present Soviet trade is its high rate of development—today she holds the sixth place in world trade volume. Another feature is the change in the commodity composition of the exports and imports of the country. The number of states carrying on trade with the Soviet Union has increased from forty between World War I and II to seventy at the present. Trade with socialist countries is planned ahead by several years. Trade with the West has increased and in 1958 amounted to 2,250 million dollars. Among other coun tries, trade relations have been established with France, the Federal Republic of Germany, Austria, Italy, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Iceland, and Greece. The Soviet Union has shifted from a debtor to a creditor country after World War II. Dur ing the past ten years Soviet-American trade has been reduced to almost nothing; in spite of this Russia is developing its industry, agriculture, and trade yearly. Since both the Soviet Union and the United States have expressed a desire to trade, it is hoped that "sooner or later the Soviet-American trade will be normalized." Future development of Soviet trade will de pend on the development of its industry. The development of the Union's economy and trade is not meant to be a threat to other countries. It is hoped that difficulties preventing trade between the Soviet Union and the United States will soon be overcome.—Ed.