Russian-Norwegian Trade and Economic Relations: Grain Trade in the Pre-War Period (1905—1914)

Abstract

The article is dedicated to the problem of Russian-Norwegian trade relations in the pre-war period, when after break of the Swedish-Norwegian union (1905), both countries showed interest in establishing diplomatic relations, while Norway sought to realize trade and economic expansion into the Russian market. The author used archival and published Norwegian and Russian statistical sources concerning the main issue for Russia’s grain exports at the beginning of the 20th century, which took place in the face of strong competition with Germany on the European agricultural market. Attention is drawn to the negative trend in Russian-Norwegian export-import operations, which was noted both in government spheres and in the circle of academic economists — bureaucracy advisers.