Russia, one of the world’s largest and fastest growing economies in transition in recent years, is on track to join the World Trade Organization (WTO) and assume the international legal obligations of membership in the world trading system.

The Coalition for U.S.-Russia Trade, a broad-based group of U.S. companies and trade associations (for a full list of Coalition Members, please click here) representing every major sector of the U.S. economy, supports stronger U.S.-Russian economic ties and was a key proponent for Russia’s accession to the WTO on strong, commercially meaningful terms. On November 10, 2011, the Working Party on Russia’s accession to the World WTO reached a final agreement on the terms of Russia’s WTO accession and approved its accession package. At the upcoming WTO Ministerial Conference in Geneva on December 15-17, Russia will be formally invited to become a member of the WTO. Once Russia ratifies the accession package, it will become a WTO member 30 days after formally notifying the WTO of its ratification.

Russia’s membership in the WTO will encourage greater transparency, adherence to the rule of law and increased certainty for U.S. trade and investment – critical building blocks to a stronger U.S.-Russia commercial relationship. However, in order for U.S. business and agricultural interests to reap the benefits of Russia’s WTO accession, the U.S. Congress must pass critical legislation to lift the application of the Jackson-Vanik amendment with respect to Russia and grant Russia Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR) status.

The Coalition is working to secure Congressional passage of PNTR, so as to guarantee that U.S. firms and farmers can take full advantage of the terms of Russia’s WTO membership that foreign competitors will automatically enjoy upon Russia’s accession to the WTO. To ensure that U.S. interests can compete on an equal footing in the crucial Russian market, the U.S. Congress must graduate Russia from the Jackson-Vanik amendment and extend Russia PNTR.

Click here to learn more about how your company or organization can help work to achieve stronger U.S.-Russian commercial ties as a member of the Coalition.

Highlights

Coalition Members Welcome WTO Approval of Russia's Accession Agreement

Coalition for U.S.-Russia Trade >>
U.S.-Russia Business Council >>
American Chamber of Commerce in Russia >>
American Council of Life Insurers >>
American Farm Bureau Federation >>
Business Roundtable >>
Coalition of Service Industries >>
Emergency Committee for American Trade >>
National Association of Manufacturers >>
National Chicken Council >>
National Foreign Trade Council >>
PhRMA >>
U.S. Chamber of Commerce >>
The Boeing Company >>
Citigroup, Inc. >>
Deere & Company >>
The Dow Chemical Company >>
Ford Motor Company >>
General Electric >>

U.S. States’ Business Ties with Russia

State-by-State and Sector-by-Sector: Learn More about the Importance of the Russian Market to U.S. Businesses >>

Annual U.S.-Russia Business Council “Road Shows” to States Across the Country >>