International Trade and Central Planning

An Analysis of Economic Interactions

Alan A. Brown, Egon Neuberger, Alan A. Brown, Egon Neuberger

• Publisher: University of California Press
• Year: 2023
• Print ISBN: 9780520334656
• eBook ISBN: 9780520334663
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Economics
• Subtopic: Business General
• Index: Economics

International Trade and Central Planning: An Analysis of Economic Interactions explores the intricate dynamics of foreign trade in centrally planned economies (CPEs) and its interplay with domestic economic planning. Unlike market-type economies (MTEs), where trade is largely guided by market forces, CPEs rely on direct government control, making their trade patterns and mechanisms distinct. This book highlights the historical neglect of CPE foreign trade in economic studies and addresses critical issues such as trade aversion, balance-of-payments pressures, and inefficiencies inherent in central planning. Through theoretical frameworks, empirical studies, and case-specific analyses, the book examines the bidirectional relationship between domestic plans and trade outcomes. It also underscores the challenges posed by institutional rigidity, state trade monopolies, and a focus on self-sufficiency, which often hinder CPEs from realizing the full benefits of trade.

The text provides a comparative perspective on trade patterns in CPEs and MTEs, demonstrating how CPEs’ lower trade-to-income ratios reflect a historical aversion to trade, even as their trade volumes have grown rapidly over time due to industrialization needs. Key topics include the structural imbalances caused by prioritizing machinery production over agriculture, the instability of trade composition and direction, and the difficulty of adjusting to external shocks. Additionally, the book delves into the long-term legacies of central planning, which continue to shape trade policies even during economic transitions. By presenting original research and stimulating further inquiry, the book bridges gaps in the study of centrally planned foreign trade and integrates it into broader international trade theory, offering valuable insights into this underexplored area of economic analysis.

This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press’s mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1968.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title
• Copyright
• Contents 1
• Introduction and Theoretical Background
• Foreign Trade of Centrally Planned Economies: An Introduction
• Theoretical Reflections on the Trade of Socialist Economies
• DISCUSSION
• Towards a Theory of Centrally Planned Foreign Trade*
• DISCUSSION Robert W. Campbell
• East-West Trade and the Paradoxes of the Strategic Embargo
• DISCUSSION
• Socialist Industrialization and Trade in Machinery Products: An Analysis Based on the Experience of Bulgaria, Poland, and Rumania137
• DISCUSSION Frederic L. Pryor
• Foreign Trade of Eastern Europe: A Summary Appraisal
• The International Impact on Chinese Central Planning*
• DISCUSSION Ta-chung Liu
• Prices, the Exchange Rate, and Economic Efficiency in the Foreign Trade of Communist China*
• DISCUSSION Richard Y. C. Yin
• Foreign Trade of China: A Summary Appraisal
• The Effects of Foreign Trade on Soviet Planning Practices*************************************
• DISCUSSION Evsey D. Domar
• Soviet Central Planning and Its Impact on Foreign Trade Behavior and Adjustment Mechanisms†††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††
• DISCUSSION Joseph S. Berliner
• Recent Structural Changes and Balance- of-Payments Adjustments in Soviet Foreign Trade§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§
• DISCUSSION Aurelius Morgner
• Foreign Trade of the U.S.S.R.: A Summary Appraisal
• Central Planning and Its Legacies: Implications for Foreign Trade††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††
• DISCUSSION Benjamin N. Ward
• On Prospects for Communist Foreign Trade
• Notes on Some Theoretical Problems Posed by the Foreign Trade of Centrally Planned Economies
• Appendix
• Basic Features of a Centrally Planned Economy
• Selected Bibliography
• Index of Names Cited
• Subject Index