Because of historical actions which were motivated at least in part by racial considerations and which resulted in the establishment of a racial world order, the pursuit of particular foreign policies may be racist in effect without having been motivated by racial considerations. The creation of a racial world order defines the framework in which to examine racial dimensions and implications of foreign policies and provides a conceptual basis for analyzing some of the complexities that racism poses in international relations. Race as a political category has been elaborated within the institutional structure of the world capitalist economy. A world racial consciousness is slowly emerging, based on commonalities in racial and economic exploitation that encourage nonwhites to unite. In the international relations of the United States, South Africa presents the clearest case for exploring the interaction of racial consciousness and political economy and illustrates some of the contradictions that must be confronted in efforts to preserve racial order in a dynamic world economy. The continuing evolution of the world system has changed the way that racism operates in international relations but has not abolished the system of racial hierarchy. Costs to the United States of identifying with supporting regimes perceived to be racist, such as South Africa and Israel, are likely to escalate. Such costs may include potential withdrawal from the United Nations, the narrowing of avenues for accommodation that withdrawal implies, and permanent uncertainty about access to vital resources from the Third World.