Trade committee chairmen voice worries on Russia WTO bid

By Erik Wasson and Vicki Needham - 10/31/11 10:01 AM ET

The heads of the congressional trade committees have told the Obama administration that Russia should not be admitted into the World Trade Organization unless certain conditions are met.

In what amounts to a thinly veiled threat, the committee leaders reminded U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk that Congress has the ability to block permanent normal trade relations.

Russia’s 18-year bid to join the WTO has reached an endgame amid reports that Georgia is preparing to drop its opposition to the accession, which requires consensus approval among WTO members. An Obama administration official told The Hill Monday that the administration is "confident" Russia will be admitted to the WTO at a ministerial meeting in December.

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.), ranking member Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Dave Camp (R-Mich.) and ranking member Sandy Levin (D-Mich.) wrote to Kirk on Saturday to urge him to “insist that Russia meet a high standard in the ongoing negotiations regarding Russia’s accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO).”

“A high standard accession package will be essential to ensuring support for granting Russia permanent normal trade relations,” they write.

The trade committee leaders say they continue to have “numerous concerns” about Russia’s lax enforcement of intellectual property rights protection. They also want Russia to join a WTO side agreement known as the Information Technology Agreement, which commits members to tariff-free trade in computer equipment.

In the field of agriculture, the chairmen and ranking members are pushing for the removal of barriers that have allowed Russia to exclude U.S. poultry and other key exports based on “unscientific” health and safety claims. Russia has in the past threatened to exclude U.S. chicken.

On industrial goods, the letter urges changes to Russia’s policies on investment in automobile production.

"Consultation continues to be a priority in the remaining stages of Russia's WTO accession process, just as it has been throughout. We fully share the view that Russia's accession include strong commitments on these and other important issues. We continue to have confidence that Russia will be formally invited to join the WTO at the Ministerial Conference in December," an administration official said in response to the letter.

Recognizing the status of talks, House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) last week made clear he wants to see improved human rights in Russia in exchange for WTO admission. Boehner accused Russia of trying “to restore Soviet-style power and influence” and called on the Obama administration to take a tougher line.

Boehner warned about the consequences of Prime Minister Vladimir Putin’s expected return to the presidency, suggesting the U.S. should reconsider its policy of a “reset” with Russia.