The Right Way to Repeal Jackson-Vanik

July 3 (Bloomberg) -- By the end of this month, Russia willbecome the 154th member of the World Trade Organization. Theratification vote in the State Duma will conclude 19 years ofarduous negotiations and enshrine promises by Moscow to open itsmarkets, lower tariffs, enforce transparent laws and resolvetrade disputes according to global rules of commerce.

The U.S. Congress should encourage the opening of theworld’s seventh-largest economy by upgrading Russia to thestatus of Permanent Normal Trade Relations. That requires therepeal of the Jackson-Vanik amendment, a set of traderestrictions adopted in 1974 that was designed to compel theSoviet Union to allow emigration of its Jewish population, agoal that has long ceased to be appropriate or useful. Since theearly 1990s, successive U.S. administrations have granted annualwaivers of its terms. Now, keeping the law on the books wouldput the U.S. in violation of WTO rules and allow Russia topenalize American companies.