The 1970s marked the end of the years in which the United States was the guarantor of a free world trade order, while Western Europe made efforts to catch up with the economic superpower. In this book, Giuseppe La Barca explains how the trade environment and trade policies in the United States and in the European community during the 1970s were more complex than frequently acknowledged. In particular, he examines the promotion of greater governmental protection of national industries and the relationship between such tendencies and the negotiations aimed at reducing trade barriers.