The article discusses how trade, including commercial, dual-use, and strategic trade, can impact U.S. national security. Gorbachev aimed to use increased trade to help restructure the Soviet economy. Strategic trade, which involves items with both commercial and strategic uses, has a clear impact on national security. Identifying what counts as strategic trade can be tricky due to dual-use products. Understanding the effects of commercial and dual-use trade is important for analyzing the international economic aspects of perestroika and U.S. national security.