Relaţiile economice româno-americane și Clauza naţiunii celei mai favorizate
The Romanian-American Economic Relations and the Most-Favored-Nation Clause

Summary/Abstract: Based on archival documents, this article illustrates the evolution of the commercial relationships between Romania and the United States, by highlighting the facts that have determined the gradual deterioration of it, from the granting of the Most-Favored-Nation Clause to the unilateral decision of the Communist Regime to give up this Clause. The article emphasizes the non-economic aspects of the issue (such us the respect for human rights, the respect for the right to emigrate) which triggered the deterioration of the bilateral relationships that started so favorably after the visit of Richard Nixon in Romania on 2-3 August 1969. The United States used the Clause as an instrument of political influence within the relationship with Romania. Throughout the lifetime of this commercial policy, one can distinguish two phases: 1) during the Nixon and Ford Administrations the Clause has encouraged the distancing of Ceausescu’s Regime from Moscow; and 2) during the Carter and Reagan Administrations when USA used the Clause as a pressure instrument against Ceausescu’s Regime in order to make him respect the human rights. The political goals aimed by the United States when using the Clause have been just partially achieved: Ceausescu Regime has had to reduce, but only to a limited extent, its repressive policy, especially during the discussions held for the renewal of the Clause. However, in essence, the Regime remained faithful to the Stalinist model.

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