23. Editorial Note
On March 1, 1971, Presidentʼs Assistant for National Security Affairs Henry Kissinger sent to the Secretaries of State, Defense, and Commerce NSDM 99 on East-West trade, which reads as follows: “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, 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.”
Regarding the referenced memoranda from the Secretaries of State, Defense, and Commerce, see Document 20.