{ "id": "R42085", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "number": "R42085", "active": false, "source": "EveryCRSReport.com, University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "versions": [ { "source": "EveryCRSReport.com", "id": 415511, "date": "2013-01-04", "retrieved": "2016-04-06T23:43:33.678987", "title": "Russia\u2019s Accession to the WTO and Its Implications for the United States", "summary": "In 1993, Russia formally applied for accession to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT). In 1995, its application was taken up by the World Trade Organization (WTO), the successor organization of the GATT. Russia is the largest economy not in the WTO; after a number of fits and starts during the 18-year process, the then-153 members of the WTO, on December 16, 2011, invited Russia to join the WTO during the Ministerial Conference in Geneva. On July 10 and July 18, 2012, respectively, the lower house of the Russian parliament\u2014the State Duma\u2014and the upper house\u2014the Federal Council\u2014approved the protocol of accession. President Putin signed the measure into law on July 21, allowing Russia to formally join the WTO on August 22.\nThe immediate policy issue for Congress was whether to enact legislation authorizing the President to grant permanent normal trade relations (PNTR) status for Russia, a status that all WTO members are required to provide each other. Some Members of Congress viewed congressional consideration of PNTR legislation as the opportunity to ensure that the conditions on which Russia is invited to join the WTO reflected U.S. concerns and that Russia fulfill its commitments. \nOn November 16, and on December 6, 2012, respectively, the House passed (365-43) and the Senate passed (92-4) H.R. 6156. The President signed the bill into law (P.L. 112-208) on December 14, 2012. The law removes the application of Title IV to trade with Russia and authorizes the President to grant PNTR to Russia by proclamation. It also contained other provisions requiring follow-up reports and discussion to ensure that Russia complies with its obligations to the United States and other WTO members.\nIn joining the WTO, Russia has committed to bring its trade laws and practices into compliance with WTO rules and other market-opening measures. In doing so, it will take a major step in integrating its trading system with the rest of the world. Those commitments include \nextending nondiscriminatory treatment of imports of goods and services;\nreducing tariffs and binding tariff levels; \nensuring transparency when implementing trade measures;\nlimiting agriculture subsidies; \nenforcing intellectual property rights (IPR) of foreign holders of such rights; \nforgoing the use of local content requirements and other investment measures that limit imports; and\nopening government procurement contract opportunities to foreign firms. \nIn joining the WTO, Russia commits to accepting WTO dispute settlement procedures.\nIn return, Russia will have a voice in shaping and implementing the international trade regime. It will be able to hold its WTO partners accountable for adhering to WTO rules in conducting their trade relations with Russia, making those trade relations more predictable and stable. In addition, Russian economic reformers anticipate that WTO membership will make Russia a more attractive location for foreign producers and investors to do business by locking in trade-liberalizing reforms, which could increase Russia\u2019s economic growth.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "HTML", "encoding": "utf-8", "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/R42085", "sha1": "830ef61f40d8f24907e2c3ffb6f579425c0e3c50", "filename": "files/20130104_R42085_830ef61f40d8f24907e2c3ffb6f579425c0e3c50.html", "images": null }, { "format": "PDF", "encoding": null, "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/R42085", "sha1": "636e9397da6bbb75009cc1e05c0ad1e72c872337", "filename": "files/20130104_R42085_636e9397da6bbb75009cc1e05c0ad1e72c872337.pdf", "images": null } ], "topics": [] }, { "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc806009/", "id": "R42085_2012Jul26", "date": "2012-07-26", "retrieved": "2016-03-19T13:57:26", "title": "Russia\u2019s Accession to the WTO and Its Implications for the United States", "summary": null, "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORT", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "PDF", "filename": "files/20120726_R42085_37456fe42e30883656a3dd90e5bf01675f71e32c.pdf" }, { "format": "HTML", "filename": "files/20120726_R42085_37456fe42e30883656a3dd90e5bf01675f71e32c.html" } ], "topics": [] }, { "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc817016/", "id": "R42085_2012Jun15", "date": "2012-06-15", "retrieved": "2016-03-19T13:57:26", "title": "Russia\u2019s Accession to the WTO and Its Implications for the United States", "summary": null, "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORT", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "PDF", "filename": "files/20120615_R42085_61cb3e043132ce845fca7f6778a1c8adbb6265bf.pdf" }, { "format": "HTML", "filename": "files/20120615_R42085_61cb3e043132ce845fca7f6778a1c8adbb6265bf.html" } ], "topics": [] }, { "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc87192/", "id": "R42085_2012Jun13", "date": "2012-06-13", "retrieved": "2012-07-03T07:51:21", "title": "Russia's Accession to the WTO and Its Implications for the United States", "summary": "Russia has been invited to join the World Trade Organization (WTO) by July 23, 2012. This report looks at policy issues for Congress, and concerns for the US regarding conditions ensuring that Russia fulfills its obligations and provides meaningful trade and investment opportunities for U.S. firms.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORT", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "PDF", "filename": "files/20120613_R42085_2f2ae3b462ddb32a1341d4c3fbb9f85f2c7d1d9f.pdf" }, { "format": "HTML", "filename": "files/20120613_R42085_2f2ae3b462ddb32a1341d4c3fbb9f85f2c7d1d9f.html" } ], "topics": [ { "source": "LIV", "id": "International trade", "name": "International trade" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Trade agreements", "name": "Trade agreements" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Trade", "name": "Trade" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Foreign policy", "name": "Foreign policy" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Foreign relations - Russia - U.S.", "name": "Foreign relations - Russia - U.S." }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Foreign relations - Russia - U.S.", "name": "Foreign relations - Russia - U.S." }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Foreign economic relations - Russia - U.S.", "name": "Foreign economic relations - Russia - U.S." }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Foreign economic relations - U.S. - Russia", "name": "Foreign economic relations - U.S. - Russia" } ] }, { "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc86588/", "id": "R42085_2012Jan30", "date": "2012-01-30", "retrieved": "2012-06-15T10:07:48", "title": "Russia's Accession to the WTO and Its Implications for the United States", "summary": "Russia has been invited to join the World Trade Organization (WTO) by July 23, 2012. This report looks at policy issues for Congress, and concerns for the US regarding conditions ensuring that Russia fulfills its obligations and provides meaningful trade and investment opportunities for U.S. firms.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORT", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "PDF", "filename": "files/20120130_R42085_0b47d1b8cac9e7293c287af71b51bd041116d514.pdf" }, { "format": "HTML", "filename": "files/20120130_R42085_0b47d1b8cac9e7293c287af71b51bd041116d514.html" } ], "topics": [ { "source": "LIV", "id": "International trade", "name": "International trade" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Trade agreements", "name": "Trade agreements" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Trade", "name": "Trade" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Foreign policy", "name": "Foreign policy" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Foreign relations - Russia - U.S.", "name": "Foreign relations - Russia - U.S." }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Foreign relations - Russia - U.S.", "name": "Foreign relations - Russia - U.S." }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Foreign economic relations - Russia - U.S.", "name": "Foreign economic relations - Russia - U.S." }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Foreign economic relations - U.S. - Russia", "name": "Foreign economic relations - U.S. - Russia" } ] }, { "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc84002/", "id": "R42085_2011Nov16", "date": "2011-11-16", "retrieved": "2012-04-27T15:49:45", "title": "Russia's Accession to the WTO and Its Implications for the United States", "summary": "This report provides a brief overview of the WTO itself, the accession process in general, and the commitments that Russia has made to join the WTO. The report discusses U.S. policy on Russia's accession and the accession in the context of the U.S.-Russia economic relationship. It outlines the congressional role in the process and the potential impact of WTO accession for Russian trade with the United States.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORT", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "PDF", "filename": "files/20111116_R42085_1139c80f2010935fb1e9e790c8c972c754605c22.pdf" }, { "format": "HTML", "filename": "files/20111116_R42085_1139c80f2010935fb1e9e790c8c972c754605c22.html" } ], "topics": [ { "source": "LIV", "id": "Foreign policy", "name": "Foreign policy" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Foreign relations - U.S. - Russia", "name": "Foreign relations - U.S. - Russia" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Foreign relations - Russia - U.S.", "name": "Foreign relations - Russia - U.S." }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Foreign trade regulation", "name": "Foreign trade regulation" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Foreign trade policy", "name": "Foreign trade policy" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Trade agreements", "name": "Trade agreements" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Trade negotiations", "name": "Trade negotiations" } ] } ], "topics": [ "Economic Policy", "Foreign Affairs" ] }