Wirtschaftsbeziehungen mit der Sowjetunion
Economic Relations With the Soviet Union

Summary/Abstract: In recent years, trade between the USSR and the Federal Republic of Germany has noticeably increased. The influence of politics has been less than is usually presumed. The main limiting factor is the difference between a centrally planned and a free market economy, and the respective goals and instruments of economic policy. At present, a great deal of Soviet imports is being effected on a credit basis, and it remains to be seen whether Moscow will put the balance of trade straight towards the end of the Five Year Plan period, as usually it aims to do. Soviet imports are depen¬dent on the overall economic plan and mainly consist of finished producer goods. Of Soviet exports to Germany, ninety per cent are raw materials and semi-finished goods. A greater share of finished goods would be desirable. On the German side, liberalisation of imports is extensive and by 1975 will be complete, for all practical purposes, except for a very minor hard core of restrictions. Cooperation of firms is a promising form of Soviet-German trade, in which Moscow has begun to show interest since the mid-sixties. But joint production within the USSR, although most interesting economically, still is in its incipient stage and meets with various difficulties. The concluding paragraphs report on the activities of the Soviet-German Government Commission on Trade, which includes business representatives (of whom the author himself has been one) as well. The commission started work in April, 1972, and examines proposals, renders advice to firms, but does not engage in business as such.

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