Perspectives on Trade and International Payments

Growing concern over the U.S. trade deficit in 1978 and 1979 and depreciation of the dollar in foreign exchange markets stimulated a reexamination of U.S. trade policies. In order to help fill the need for long-range world trade information, an examination was made of four prominent economic forecasts. The following issues were raised for consideration by U.S. policymakers: trade policy coherence, organizational adequacy, exchange rates, export control administration, foreign trade barriers, U.S. imports, investment flows, productivity, technology transfers, government regulations, export promotion, export financing, and the administration of U.S. international collections and payments. The discussion of each problem area was directed toward assisting policymakers to reexamine traditional approaches to trade policy and to establish well-articulated, organized, and focused responses to international trade problems which have long been disregarded.