Congress urged to pass Vietnam trade deal soon

By Doug Palmer

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Former top U.S. diplomats and trade
officials urged Congress on Tuesday to approve an historic
trade deal with former war enemy Vietnam “at the earliest
possible opportunity this summer.”

The letter signed by former Secretaries of State Colin
Powell, Madeleine Albright, James Baker, Henry Kissinger and
others called approval of the trade deal “the logical next step
in the normalization of relations between our two countries.”

Former U.S. Trade Representatives Charlene Barshefsky,
Carla Hill and Clayton Yeutter also signed the letter urging
Congress to swiftly approve “permanent normal trade relations”
with Hanoi, as did other cabinet officials from Republican and
Democratic administrations of the past 35 years.

Congressional leaders have been reluctant to commit to
holding floor votes on the Vietnam pact before the August
congressional recess because of a crowded legislative calendar
and the potential for lawmakers to offer a range of amendments
that could slow down the debate.

The pact paves the way for Hanoi to join the World Trade
Organization by requiring it to lower import barriers on broad
range of U.S. goods and services.

In exchange, the United States would have to provide
Vietnam the same tariff treatment all other WTO members enjoy.
To do that, Congress would have to approve permanent normal
trade relations, instead of having the White House provide that
on a renewable basis, as it does now.

U.S. textile groups oppose the pact, which will require the
United States to eliminate quotas on clothing imports from
Vietnam in line with WTO rules. However, the accord enjoys
strong support from other industry sectors.

A U.S. trade official, speaking on the condition that he
not be identified, told reporters the Bush administration hoped
that key committees in the Senate and the House would at least
approve the deal before August.

“We’re going to get as much as we can get done in July.
What we don’t get done in July, we’re going to try to get done
in September,” he said. “What we don’t get down in September,
we’re going to get done in a lame duck” session after the
November congressional elections.