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Foreign trade was important to the pre-war USSR
The article states foreign trade "played only a minor role in the Soviet economy" but the article only covers the post-World War II Soviet Union. In the 1920s and 1930s foreign trade was very important for the USSR. The Soviets wanted to build their economy using foreign equipment, technology, and expertise, but the Soviets could not get foreign government credit or foreign bank loans, nor would most countries even take Soviet gold (as they believed the gold show be used to pay Tsarist era debts that the Soviets repudiated). To pay for their imports, the Soviets had to use foreign currency, which they earned by exporting grains, oil, lumber, and other raw materials. This was so important to the Soviets that they even exported wheat during Soviet famines.