The administration of US President Donald Trump has spoken in favour of repealing the Jackson-Vanik amendment, which continues to apply to four Central Asian countries (CA), including Uzbekistan. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that the American authorities support the lifting of the restrictions, but the final decision rests with Congress.
WHAT MARCO RUBIO SAID
As reported by Gazeta.uz, on 19 October US Secretary of State Marco Rubio made a statement during a visit to Registan Square in Samarkand. He arrived in Uzbekistan to take part in a meeting of foreign ministers of the CA countries and the United States in the C5+1 format.
According to Rubio, the Trump administration supports repealing the Jackson-Vanik amendment. Some influential members of Congress hold a similar position.
"We support its repeal. There are quite a few influential supporters of such a decision in the US Congress. The administration is also calling for this. Congress simply has not yet got round to this issue, but we hope that it will happen," Marco Rubio said.
The Secretary of State added that he had supported repealing the amendment back when his candidacy was being considered in the Senate.
WHAT THE JACKSON-VANIK AMENDMENT IS
The Jackson-Vanik amendment continues to apply to four of the five CA countries, including Uzbekistan. It restricts the possibility of granting permanent normal trade relations with the United States.
As the director of the International Institute of Central Asia, Zhavlon Vakhabov, explained earlier, the amendment does not prohibit trade between the countries. For example, Uzbekistan already enjoys normal trade relations with the United States, but this status remains conditional and is reviewed annually.
Repealing the amendment would make it possible to consolidate this status on a permanent basis, reduce administrative procedures and make the conditions for trade and long-term investment more predictable.
WHY THE AMENDMENT HAS NOT YET BEEN REPEALED
According to Zhavlon Vakhabov, US administrations of both parties have previously supported revising the amendment.
Legislators from the Republican and Democratic parties have already introduced corresponding bills in the US Senate and House of Representatives.
However, repealing the amendment requires the consent of both chambers of Congress. The main obstacle remains the absence of a final legislative decision, despite political support for the initiative.
CONTEXT
Earlier, FBRK reported that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke of the possibility of concluding agreements worth billions of dollars between the United States and the countries of Central Asia. The talks are taking place in Samarkand with the participation of representatives of almost 300 American companies.
The parties are discussing co-operation in the fields of digital technology, energy, transport, healthcare, agriculture and investment. Among the participants in the meetings are Google, Meta, Boeing, Citigroup and JP Morgan. At the same time, the exact amounts and the final list of possible agreements have not yet been presented.
Rubio also said that Donald Trump is interested in visiting Uzbekistan. The American side is considering the possibility of organising a visit next year, but specific dates have not yet been determined.
