U.S. Group to Take New Look at Soviet Trade

More than 500 U.S. business leaders arrive in Moscow this week to find out what trade opportunities Kremlin reforms have created and to offer advice to a new generation of Soviet managers.

The improvement in U.S.-Soviet relations brought by the last superpower summit and excitement about President Reagan’s trip to Moscow from May 29 to June 2 have brightened prospects for the annual visit.

“The Washington summit (last December) greatly improved the atmosphere,” said William Forrester, spokesman for the American-Soviet Trade and Economic Council, a private group linking U.S. business and Soviet industry which is organizing the visit.

“Our membership has risen 10% in the last six months. This is definitely tied to the improvement in bilateral relations and changes taking place in the Soviet Union. U.S. business is very interested in taking a new look at the Soviet market,” he said.

U.S. Commerce Secretary C. William Verity Jr. will accompany the group, the largest to visit Moscow. Verity will talk with Soviet External Economic Relations Minister Konstantin Katushev while the U.S. managers get down to business with about 300 leaders of Soviet state industry.

Executives from Coca-Cola, American Express and other firms will run a one-day course for Soviet managers in advertising and public relations techniques.

And a spokeswoman for Honeywell Inc. said the computer firm expected to announce a “business arrangement” with Soviet enterprises but the firm declined to give details.

While the trade group explores opportunities created, for example, by Moscow’s offer to launch joint enterprises, the politicians will wrangle over remaining barriers to greater U.S.-Soviet trade.

The Soviet Union exported goods worth only $469 million to the United States in 1987 while importing $1.5 billion worth of U.S. goods.