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Congress urged to pass Vietnam trade deal soon

Posted on: Tuesday, 11 July 2006, 18:24 CDT

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.

Source: REUTERS

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