ABSTRACT
This chapter describes a number of special features that characterize the foreign trade relations of the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance (CMEA) states. Even though these special aspects play an important role in understanding the policy pursued by CMEA countries, should always be aware that their foreign trade relations include many features that are typical of all foreign trade and are familiar to from observations of foreign trade relations in the Western world market. The needs for the various countries of the world to engage in foreign trade and their opportunities for doing so vary widely. Differences among the East European members of the CMEA are particularly evident. The European members of the CMEA differ not only with regard to their size and the natural resources at their disposal, but also in their relative levels of economic development. Industrialization in CMEA countries began at different times in history and has proceeded with varying degrees of intensity.
