US Congressman proposes full trade halt with Russia

A bill to reinstate the Jackson-Vanik amendment has been introduced in the US Congress with the aim of ending all trade with Russia, US Representative Joe Wilson said on X, according to Caliber.Az.

“After the attack on Poland, I’m grateful to introduce this bill to reimpose Jackson-Vanik on Russia cutting off all trade with this terrorist dictatorship. President Obama and John Kerry wrongfully repealed this law during the misguided Russia Reset which encouraged war criminal Putin to occupy Crimea. Trump will fix it!” he wrote.

Enacted in 1974 as part of the Trade Act, the Jackson-Vanik amendment was a Cold War-era tool designed to pressure non-market economies—initially the Soviet Union—into allowing free emigration, particularly for Jews and dissidents, by denying them most-favoured-nation (MFN) trade status. It required annual presidential waivers for countries to maintain normal trade relations, linking commerce to human rights compliance.

Since Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, the U.S. has imposed sweeping sanctions, reducing direct trade to $3.5 billion in 2024—down 90% from pre-war peaks, per U.S. Census Bureau data. Key remaining flows include fertilisers, nuclear fuel, and seafood imports, but reinstating Jackson-Vanik would eliminate tariff exemptions, potentially adding $500 million in annual duties and complicating supply chains. Unlike post-2022 executive sanctions, the amendment requires congressional action, making it a symbolic escalation.

By Khagan Isayev