Office of the Historian

110. National Security Study Memorandum 206/Council on International Economic Policy Study Memorandum 361

Washington, July 29, 1974.

TO

  • The Secretary of the Treasury
  • The Secretary of Defense
  • The Deputy Secretary of State
  • The Administrator, Federal Energy Administration
  • The Administrator, Environmental Protection Agency

SUBJECT

  • Relations with Canada

With the Canadian elections just concluded and a majority government in power, the President has requested a review of the status of U.S. relations with Canada.

The study should provide both a broad overview of the relationship and an examination of the near-term political issues that will require action in the coming months. The issues addressed in the study should include the following: Foreign Policy Issues, Balance of Pay [Page 404] ments and Monetary Issues, Defense Relations, Industrial Policy, Energy and Resources, Environmental Matters, Canadian Trade Policy, Agricultural Trade, Transportation and Communications, and Bilateral Legal Matters. The study should also examine the role of existing inter-country mechanisms dealing with the above issues. The study should assess the relative importance and priority attaching to these issues, suggest alternative approaches, and propose a program and timetable for dealing with them. Additionally, the study should address these issues in the context of the overall US-Canadian political perspective. As many of the issues are economic, CIEP/SM 17, U.S. Economic Policies Toward Canada, submitted on December 19, 1972, should be consulted, updated and incorporated as appropriate in the study.

The study should be prepared by an NSC–CIEP Ad Hoc Group comprising representatives of the addressees and of the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs and the Executive Director, Council on International Economic Policy, and chaired by the representative of the Department of State. To facilitate preparation of the study, inter-agency working groups should be established to address the specific issues identified above, with working group chairmanships as follows: foreign policy issues (State); balance of payments and monetary issues (Treasury); defense relations (Defense); industrial policy and agricultural trade (CIEP); and other issues (State). The Chairman of the working groups listed are responsible for submission of draft contributions to the Ad Hoc Group on specific subjects by August 20, 1974.

The study in final form should be forwarded not later than September 10, 1974, for consideration by the NSC and CIEP Senior Review Groups prior to submission to the President.

Henry A. Kissinger
William D. Eberle
  1. Summary: The President requested a review of the status of U.S. relations with Canada.

    Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, NSC Institutional Files (H-Files), Box H–206, Study Memorandums, 1969–1974, NSSM–206. Secret. Copies were sent to the President’s Counselor for Economic Affairs, the Director of the OMB, the Chairman of the CEA, the Chairman of the JCS, the DCI, and the STR. The ad hoc NSC working group produced a draft study in response to this NSSM, but it was neither acted upon nor approved. The July 8 Canadian national election gave Trudeau a majority government.

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