East-West Trade: The View from the United States

Abstract

Many factors contribute to the trade surplus enjoyed by the United States in its foreign trade with the communist countries of Europe and Asia. Most studies of East-West Trade have focused on the problems of entering communist markets and/or the potential market in these countries. This paper focuses on one of the factors that may be a long-term inhibiter (or stimulant) to increased U.S. imports of goods from communist countries; that is, consumer perceptions of products from Eastern Europe and the People's Republic of China. Our results indicate that there is a market in the United States for goods from communist countries and that there are identifiable segments of the population that are willing to purchase from these countries and would support increased trade relations.