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As 1946 ended, trade and commerce had
begun to assume their places as essential
factors in making Germany's economic wheels
turn toward peaceful ends. There was a def-
inite indication of greater progress in 1947:
the bizonal economic merger of the US and
British Zones had been inaugurated; quadri-
partite working parties had reached agree-
ment on a number of the internal problems
encountered in interzonal trade and ration-
ing; stringent price controls had success-
fully prevented run-away inflation despite
too much money and too little goods; and
exports of German products were being
bought by foreign countries at an increasing
rate.
Contracts for exports for the US Zone of
Germany, valued at approximately 26,000,000
dollars, had been concluded by the Export-
Import Section of OMGUS by the end of
November 1946. Foreign trade discussions
with representatives of other governments
have been numerous during the past several
months. Conferences have been held with
Photographic equipment on display at the export
exhibition which is currently being held in Munich.