325. National Security Decision Memorandum 991
Washington, March 1, 1971.
TO
- The Secretary of State
- The Secretary of Defense
- The Secretary of Commerce
SUBJECT
- East-West Trade
In response to the recent memoranda from the Secretaries of State, Defense and Commerce on possible measures to increase U.S. trade with Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union,2 the President has decided to defer any decision on new Administration initiatives to liberalize U.S. trade policy toward the Communist countries in regard to most-favored-nation tariff treatment or Export-Import Bank transactions. The President has also decided, however, that Congressional initiatives in these areas should be opposed only in a very low key way.
Henry A. Kissinger
- Source: National Archives, RG 59, S/S Files: Lot 83 D 305, NSDM 99. Secret. Copies were sent to the Secretary of the Treasury, the President of the Export-Import Bank, the Director of OMB, the Chairman of CEA, the Chairman of the JCS, the Director of Central Intelligence, Peter Peterson, and Clark MacGregor.↩
- Presumably Documents 314–316 and 321. According to a January 27 memorandum from Veliotes to Irwin, Secretary Rogers had sent a memorandum to the President on October 22, 1970, recommending modifications in the U.S. posture vis-à-vis trade with Communist countries. Veliotes wrote that no response to this proposal nor to related USC initiatives on relaxation of trade controls with respect to Yugoslavia and Romania had been received. (National Archives, RG 59, S/S Files: Lot 74 D 164, Irwin/Kissinger Meetings 1970-1972) Rogers’ October 22, 1970, memorandum has not been found.↩