ABSTRACT
Commercial ties played a relatively insignificant part in the history of U.S.-Soviet relations. They were a function of the climate in the overall U.S.-Soviet relationship that was heavily dominated by national security and foreign policy considerations. Furthermore, the Soviet economic structure and policies that were based on achieving autarky, impeded foreign commerce.
The radical reshaping of the U.S.-Soviet relationship in the last few years from one of confrontation to one of cooperation and the efforts by the Soviet Union and, later, by some of the successor states, to shed the legacies of a Stalinist, centrally planned economy and a Communist political system have produced the most positive political environment for U.S. commercial relations in the region since the end of World War II. Russia and the other successor states need investment and imports in a broad range of sectors, especially energy production, agriculture, telecommunications, computers, and electronics. However, economic and structural impediments remain that will likely limit the expansion of U.S. trade and investment with the former Soviet Union, at least in the near term.
