Excerpts from the report Preface: The national policies of individual countries regarding agriculture are an important determinant of the size and composition of world trade in agricultural products. The present study describes the status of agricultural policies as of the middle of 1957. It discusses briefly the dependence of each area on trade in farm products, either as an importer or as an exporter. It gives the goals of agricultural policy, as they have been explicitly stated, or as they are implicit in the actions of governments. The regulation of foreign trade in agricultural products and internal market and price policies, including price supports, direct subsidies, and production controls, are briefly described. Each country section also makes reference to indirect aids for agriculture, such as those given through agricultural credit, agricultural extension services, and land or development policies.