Background on the Jackson Vanik Amendment:
The Jackson-Vanik Amendment to a Trade Act passed in 1974 restricted trade with non-market economies that restricted Jewish emigration and violated other human rights groups.
The Jackson-Vanik restrictions on trade were repealed in 2012 in the same law that imposed trade sanctions on some Russian officials for the murder of Sergei Magnitsky. The repeal of Jackson-Vanik led the United States to grant most favored nation trade status to Russia and Russia was granted entry to the WTO in August of 2012.
Russia remains a member of the WTO in good standing despite Russian involvement in the downloading of civilian airliner over Ukraine, the invasion of Crimea in 2014, and the current war in Ukraine.
The Current Situation:
Russian aggression and genocide In Ukraine haven’t been prevented by targeted sanctions that would be easily reversed. Go here for a discussion of child abductions by Russia in Ukraine. Go here for a discussion of Russian war crimes since 1991. Go here for a discussion of recent civilian casualties in Ukraine.
Economic sanctions have not prevented many western nations from continuing business in Russia as discussed here.
The appeasement advocates claim to be motivated by fear of a wider conflict. There already is a wider conflict. Russia committed human rights violation in Georgia, a regime that jailed its former president. Russia supports the dictator in Belarus. Go here for an article on Belarus.
Bring Back Jackson Vanik:
Targeted economic sanctions have not affected Russian behavior.
The linkage of the Magnitsky sanctions to the repeal of Jackson-Vanik did not deter Russian aggression. On balance the combination of the repeal of Jackson-Vanik with the enactment of Magnitsky sanctions was a good deal for Russia.
The WTO claims that it contributes to peace and stability. Let’s be clear. Russia’s entry into the WTO did not contribute to peace and stability.
Despite sanctions, western firms have not left Russia. The western firms and the Russian government both believe sanctions can be largely ignored and will be reversed.
Only Congress and the Administration working together can send a signal to the Russians that they will not get away with aggression and crimes. The way to do this is to abolish most favored nation trade status, remove Russia from the WTO, and prohibit trade and investment with Russia until Congress passes legislation removing these penalties.
A key to ending the Ukraine war and deterring future Russian aggression involves broad penalties imposed on the entire Russian economy not narrow sanctions on the elite who will be compensated for their sacrifices.
A successful deterrent strategy requires penalties that cannot be reversed unless there is proof supporting the view that the aggression will end and will not be repeated.
We need a return to the Reagan philosophy of Trust but Verify. A law similar to the Jackson-Vanik Amendment is a first step in instituting this approach.
David Bernstein is the author of A 2024 Health Care Reform Proposal.