Nixon - Ford Government Of The Soviet Grain Trade Policy Research

The thesis is a study on food trade policy of Nixon-Ford Administration towards the Soviet Union, analyzes the achievements and shortcomings of these two governments policies. After Nixon taking office, the international situation had undergone a great change, the United States began to adjust foreign economic strategy, to implement liberalization policy of food trade towards the Soviet Union. Not only abolished the special license of grain export and food transportation restriction formulated by Kennedy Administration, but also reached an agreement on agriculture export with the Soviet Union. Since1972, the Russians started to become the U.S. food long-term customer, and caused certain effect to American domestic economy. Food trade contact aroused the attention of two countries. In1975, Ford government and the Soviet Union made a rearrangement on this issue, regulated the subsequent grain exchanges between them. At present, domestic studies of food problems during the Cold War are focused on U.S. aid policy, while the discussions about the United States and the Soviet Union's grain trade are relatively insufficient. And among these most are brief introductions, for policy analyses are few. Based on diplomatic documents, memoranda and reports of the United States being public recently and previous researches at home and abroad, this paper will discuss U.S.-Soviet grain trade of Nixon-Ford Administration in the background of the Cold War, to reveal the essence of U.S. food policy towards the Soviet Union that is from direct containment to indirect containment.This paper consists of introduction, text and epilogue, the text is divided into four parts.The first part describes the United States food policy to the Soviet Union before Nixon Administration, including the special license of grain export in early years of the Cold War and food transportation restriction during Kennedy Administration when two countries started food dialogue for the first time. Trying to explain the economic communication between two sides depends not only on their own development needs, but subjects to the Clod War mentality at that time.The second part discusses the adjustment of foreign strategy after Nixon taking office and the process and impact of the recovered U.S.-Soviet grain trade. First, from the standpoint of international changes, analyzes the adjustment of U.S. trade policy towards the Soviet Union, especially on its background and content. And accounts for the recovery of U.S.-Soviet grain trade from three spects including the global food situation particularly the bad condition of the Soviet Union, U.S. agricultural interest groups and Earl Butz advocacy of free market philosophy. Second, based on archives materials summarizes the process of U.S.-Soviet food negotiation in1972. Moreover, briefly introduces the Russians'great grain robbery and the reaction of U.S. Department of Agriculture. Third, describes U.S. food inflation mainly caused by grain robbery and the export embargo on soybeans, cottonseeds etc. Finally, on the basis of the above discussion summarizes the impact of U.S.-Soviet grain trade.The third part outlines the response of Ford Administration to Russians to buy American food once again, and describes the U.S.-Soviet food negotiation led by Department of State in1975. Compared to the measures taken by Nixon Administration, demonstrates the new features of federal policy during this period, namely caution with food export, to gradually make the Soviet Union being a regular buyer. Among these the United States tried to use food weapon to get the Russians'oil at a discount. However, the Soviet Union did not agree with oil for wheat, the United States and the Soviet Union just signed an agreement on food.The fourth part comments on the food trade policies of Nixon-Ford Administration, analyzes its achievements and shortcomings. Relying on the above text evaluates the policies of the two governments including to promote the development of the limited detente, to alleviate some of the domestic problems, to overestimate the Soviet Union's detente will and the lack of forward-looking when governments make policies.