The House Committee on Ways and Means
and the Senate Committee on Finance held hearings this week on granting
Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR) to Russia.
CCIA sent a letter to both House and Senate committee members urging them to
consider the issue of Internet freedom in Russia as part of their discussion of
the U.S.-Russia relationship.
To extend PNTR, Congress would have to repeal the application
of the Jackson-Vanik amendment, enacted in 1974 tot prohibit normal trade
relations with countries that violated human rights. While allowing Russia’s ETO entry would provide some
economic benefits to both countries – that must be weighed against both the
economic and human costs of Russia’s Internet restrictions. For more, see CCIA’s
February post on this issue.
