Trump’s nominee for secretary of state supports lifting the Jackson-Vanik amendment for Central Asia, a move that could reshape U.S. trade and diplomatic relations in the region. The policy shift signals a potential change in Washington’s approach to post-Soviet economies.
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for secretary of state says the Jackson-Vanik amendment, a 50-year-old law imposing some restrictions on trade with several countries in Central Asia, is “a relic of an era that’s past” and needs to be lifted.
U.S. Senator Marco Rubio, a Florida Republican who spoke during a confirmation hearing in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Wednesday said that the permanent removal will require legislative action.
“There are some that argue that we should use that as leverage for human rights concessions or leverage to get them to go stronger in our way as opposed to Russia and the like. But I think in some cases it’s an absurd relic of the past…. So, we will work on this cause I think it’s important,” - he said answering to Senator Steve Daines, a Montana Republican, highlighting Central Asia region as “a part of the world that is often neglected, but has such strategic importance.” Rubio added that Department of Commerce recognized Kazakhstan “a market economy”, and the country had already met the conditions.
Senator Chris Murphy stressed the strategic importance of Central Asia in U.S. foreign policy. He argued that repealing the amendment would signal Washington’s serious commitment to the region. While the amendment’s sanctions were effective in the past, Murphy noted they are now irrelevant to Kazakhstan, which fully complies with international norms.
Background
The Jackson-Vanik Amendment, originally designed to withhold permanent normal trade relations (PNTR) with non-market economies (NME) – primarily former republics of the Soviet Union - for its refusal to allow Jewish emigration, still applies to several US strategic partners in Central Asia, including Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, despite its irrelevance.
In passing the measure in 1974, congress gave the president the authority to waive Jackson-Vanik restrictions for any given country on a yearly basis. Removing a country permanently from the Jackson-Vanik list requires an act of Congress.
Since 1991, Congress has passed legislation authorizing the President to determine that Jackson-Vanik should no longer apply to Albania, Armenia, Bulgaria, China, Czechoslovakia, Georgia, Hungary, the Kyrgyz Republic, Moldova, Mongolia, Romania, Russia, Ukraine, and Vietnam. Russia’s PNTR status was suspended in response to its 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan are certified as compliant and receive conditional NTR status, subject to annual review.
Turkmenistan receives temporary NTR status via a presidential waiver. Belarus previously received temporary NTR status under the waiver provision, but it was suspended in response to Belarus’s involvement in Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Cuba and North Korea currently do not receive NTR status.
The U.S. will impose a 15% tariff on imports from South Korea under a new trade deal that also includes a $350bn (about £264bn) South Korean investme...
U.S. President Donald Trump has announced sweeping 50% tariffs on Brazilian imports, citing concerns over judicial overreach and human rights violatio...
An estimated 80,000 children are vulnerable to cholera in West and Central Africa amid ongoing outbreaks and the onset of heavy rains, according to th...
With just one day left until Donald Trump’s 1 August tariff deadline, the U.S. has announced trade deals with several countries, but many remain inc...
U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick confirmed that South Korea’s reciprocal and auto tariff rate will be set at 15%, averting a steeper 25% levy ...
The Trump administration announced on Tuesday it is ending the deployment of about 2,000 National Guard troops in Los Angeles, according to Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell.
The Trump administration on Tuesday announced a landmark plan to phase out the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) following the 2025 hurricane season. The move signals a fundamental shift in the nation's approach to disaster recovery, placing the primary responsibility on state governments.
The Trump administration has told U.S. embassies to stop scheduling new visa interviews for international students and exchange visitors. This pause is part of a plan to increase social media checks on applicants.
The U.S. Mint will end production of the penny by early next year, citing high manufacturing costs and a directive from President Donald Trump.
The world’s biggest dance music festival faces an unexpected setback as a fire destroys its main stage, prompting a last-minute response from organisers determined to keep the party alive in Boom, Belgium.
Australian researchers have created a groundbreaking “biological AI” platform that could revolutionise drug discovery by rapidly evolving molecules within mammalian cells.
Australian researchers have pioneered a low-cost and scalable plasma-based method to produce ammonia gas directly from air, offering a green alternative to the traditional fossil fuel-dependent Haber-Bosch process.
A series of earthquakes have struck Guatemala on Tuesday afternoon, leading authorities to advise residents to evacuate from buildings as a precaution against possible aftershocks.
'Superman' continued to dominate the summer box office, pulling in another $57.25 million in its second weekend, as theatres welcome a wave of blockbuster competition following a challenging few years for the film industry.
Türkiye continues to confront the devastating legacy of past earthquakes, Istanbul is taking a major step toward future precautions—with the launch of an AI-powered disaster response system.
The Russian state news agency has reported that Shahin Shykhlinski, head of the Azerbaijani diaspora in Yekaterinburg, has been declared wanted in connection with a criminal offense.
A two-day official visit by Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to Türkiye concluded with the signing of 20 agreements aimed at expanding the strategic partnership between the two countries in key areas, including mining and rare earth minerals, space and technology, energy, and logistics.
The 5th meeting of the Kazakhstan–Türkiye High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council, chaired by the two countries’ leaders was held on Tuesday in Ankara. The meeting was focused on strengthening cooperation in the areas of economy, transport, and investment.
President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev arrived in Türkiye on Tuesday for an official visit at the invitation of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment