[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 38 (Monday, March 10, 2003)]
[Senate]
[Page S3412]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. LUGAR:
  S. 580. A bill to authorize the extension of nondiscriminatory 
treatment (normal trad relations treatment) to the products of Russia; 
to the Committee on Finance.
  Mr. LUGAR. Mr. President, I rise today to offer legislation to repeal 
the Jackson-Vanik amendment to Title IV of the 1974 Trade Act as it 
relates to Russia and to authorize the President to grant permanent 
normal trade relations to Russia.
  Congress passed the 1974 Jackson-Vanik amendment to deny permanent 
normal trade relations to communist countries that restricted 
emigration rights. Over the years, it has been an effective tool to 
promote free emigration, but its continuing applicability to Russia no 
longer makes sense in the context of the many changes that have 
occurred since the fall of the Soviet Union.
  Since 1994, successive Administrations have found Russia in full 
compliance with the requirements of freedom of emigration. Because 
Russia continues to be subject to Jackson-Vanik, the Administration 
must submit a semi-annual report to the Congress on Russia's continued 
compliance with freedom of emigration requirements. Since 1991, 
Congress has authorized the removal of Jackson-Vanik restrictions from 
Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, the Czech Republic, the Slovak Republic, 
Hungary, Bulgaria, Romania, Kyrgyzstan, Albania, and Georgia. The 
conditions that have warranted these countries' removal from Title IV 
reporting apply equally to Russia.
  For more than 8 years, Russia has satisfied the requirements of the 
Jackson-Vanik legislation. It has supported free emigration and it has 
signed a bilateral trade agreement with the United States allowing the 
application of normal trade relations status. Last year, the United 
States declared that Russia would no longer be considered a nonmarket 
economy for the purposes of trade remedies laws. Russia has made 
tremendous strides in the last decade. While Russia currently receives 
normal trade relations treatment with respect to its exports to the 
U.S., repealing Jackson-Vanik will remove the requirement of semi-
annual reports that have been an irritant in U.S.-Russia relations. 
Granting permanent normal trade relations also will provide certainty 
that will improve the investment climate and promote enhanced economic 
relations between the U.S. and Russia. I urge my colleagues to support 
this legislation.
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