Quotes about Export Control

Qianlong Emperor

Our Celestial Empire possesses all things in prolific abundance and lacks no products within its borders. There is therefore no need to import the manufactures of outside barbarians in exchange for our own produce. But the tea, silk and porcelain which the Celestial Empire produces are absolute necessities to European nations and to yourselves, we have permitted, as a signal of our favor, that private hongs should be established at Canton, so that your wants might be supplied and your country thus participate in our beneficence.

This was in response to English Emissaries who wanted to establish trading businesses in China. The Emperor would not even meet personally with Lord McCartney, the first British envoy because McCartney would not kow-tow to the Emperor. The “hongs” were special businesses set up by Chinese businessmen who had paid the Proper fee, for the purposes of being traders with foreigners. Canton, now Guangzhou, is 150 years later still the major international trading center in China although there are no longer restrictions. At the time, the British paid for their Chinese good with Opium that they had purchased in their Indian Colony. English cloth and other goods would be sent to India, traded for opium, which was brought to China and traded for tea, silks and porcelain which were returned to England and turned into cash than was worth much more than their original purchase and the cost of the voyage.

Max Baucus

China must voluntarily cut back on exports to America otherwise American politics will become unmanageable.

Mikhail Gorbachev

We are opposed to doctrines that seek to justify the export of revolution.

Henry Charles Carey

The whole legislation of Great Britain, on this subject, has been directed to the one great object of preventing the people of her colonies, and those of independent nations, from obtaining the machinery necessary to enable them to combine their exertions for the purpose of obtaining cloth or iron, and thus compelling them to bring to her their raw materials, that she might convert them into the forms that fitted them for consumption, and then return to the producers a portion of them, burdened with great cost for transportation, and heavy charges for the work of conversion.

America’s first political economist

W. Edwards Deming

Export anything to a friendly country except American management.

Theodoric the Great

It should be only the surplus of the crops of any Province, beyond what is needed for the supply of its own wants, that should be exported. Station persons in the harbors to see that foreign ships do not take away produce to foreign shores until the Public Providers have got all that they require.

The letter was actually drafted and written by Cassiodorus, the King’s secretary. As in modern times, there were places and times where foreign buyers were willing to pay sufficiently high prices to not only price the producing locals out of the market, but causing local famine and deprivation. Controlling the global economy is nothing new.

Akio Morita

If you don't want Japan to buy it, don't sell it.

Jose Angel Gurria

It is not good to cut exports or imports.

Thomas Jefferson

An immediate prohibition of the exportation of arms and ammunition is also submitted to your determination.

Spanish troops were threatening New Orleans and the European wars were active. The President was concerned that if we exported arms and ammunition and then needed to fight there would not be sufficient available. This probably was the first strategic arms embargo and export restriction of the nation.

Export Control Quotes