Kevin Brady, member of the US House of Representatives and head of the Subcommittee on Trade, said on Tuesday that lifting the Jackson-Vanik amendments would be a complicated task for the US Congress, RIA Novosti reports.
He explained that the scepticism is based on human rights violations in Russia and its support for Iran. Russia needs to inform about its private sector, business and agriculture, and explain tge benefits of joining the WTO to Obama’s administration to overcome the common mistrust that Congress has.
Russia needs to demonstrate its willingness to fulfil its WTO obligations, especially in agriculture.
Christopher Wilson, US deputy trade secretary and WTO representative, said that there are congressmen interested in lifting the Jackson-Vanik amendments. He added that it would not happen until Russia provides all the benefits it gets from joining the WTO for US businessmen.
The Jackson-Vanik amendments were introduced in 1974, limiting trade with the USSR for lack of migration freedom. An annual moratorium has been introduced for the amendments since 1989.
