Foreign Affairs

Records of the War Trade Board (RG 182)

The War Trade Board, established in October 1917 under Executive Order 2729-A, assumed the functions previously carried out by the Exports Administrative Board.   It was responsible for licensing exports and imports, rationing supplies to neutrals, and conserving commodities and shipping facilities for American and Allied use. It also sought to keep strategic goods out of enemy hands and prohibit the use of enemy credit and financial holdings in the United States. In November 1918, the Board established the War Trade Board of the United States Russian Bureau, Incorporated, generally referred to as the Russian Bureau, to provide and facilitate economic assistance to Russia.  The Board was abolished in June 1919 and residual functions were transferred to the Department of State.

In addition to the records of the Board itself, this record group includes the records of the Exports Administrative Board, the Russian Bureau, Inc., and the War Trade Board Section of the Department of State.

You can search the National Archives Catalog for entries from RG 182 or see a description in the Guide to Federal Records.

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