Australia USA Lend Lease

[Mike Cecil]

Hi Lang,

Some points to consider:
. The USA was a net exporter of wheat, not importer (along with Canada and Argentina) and
. the graph shows a net surplus for the 10 year period 1940-1949, not just the WW2 period (1940-45). With the vast amounts of wheat and wool placed into storage in Australia during WW2 (despite moves to both reduce the national sheep flock and restrict the area under cultivation for wheat by the respective governing boards, The Australian Wheat Board and the Central Wool Committee), the 1946-1949 period saw a massive export of commodities generally as shipping became available, much of it to the UK and Europe. I'd suggest the trade surplus for 1940-1949 is more a result of that than "sending Liberty ships full of wheat and wool" returning to the USA during WW2.
. The items eligible for inclusion on the LL-RLL account did not include raw/unprocessed items such as wheat and wool. Item categories included: military stores, food (processed, ready to prepare and consume), services and construction - all of which were supplied to US forces in Australia and the Pacific, not exported to the continental USA.


Mike