WASHINGTON: The United States, in the first report on Russia’s compliance with its World Trade Organisation commitments, said yesterday it was closely watching Moscow for any violations that thwart US exports to the world’s sixth-largest economy.
But in the report required by Congress, the US Trade Representative’s Office did not announce any definite plans for litigation at the Geneva-based world trade body.
It also noted an uptick in US exports to Russia that may be partly due to Moscow’s nearly 1-year-old WTO membership.
“USTR will continue to monitor Russia’s implementation of its WTO commitments to ensure that US stakeholders have the opportunity to benefit from Russia’s membership in the WTO,” Acting US Trade Representative Miriam Sapiro said in a statement accompanying the report.
The trade office said it was prepared to “use all appropriate tools,” ranging from diplomacy to litigation at the WTO, to resolve spats with Russia as they arise.
Russia joined the WTO last August after more than 18 years of on-and-off negotiations on the terms of its entry.
To ensure US companies would benefit from market-opening commitments that Russia was required to make to join the WTO, the US Congress passed legislation in December establishing “permanent normal trade relations” by lifting a Cold War-era provision known as the Jackson-Vanik amendment.
That amendment tied full trade relations with Moscow to the rights of Jews in the former Soviet Union to emigrate freely.
Reuters
