30 congressman including 8 senators and 22 lawmakers have backed the bill to grant Vietnam the Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR), state media reported the announcement by the US-Vietnam Trade Council on June 13.
The trade council made the announcement after the introduction of the PNTR bill to the US congress on June 13 by newly-appointed Trade Representatives Susan Schwab and Max Baucus.
The 22 legislators supporting the bill are Jim Ramstad, Mike Thompson, Paul Ryan, John Kline, Jim McDermott, Jerry Weller, Wally Herger, William Jefferson, Lane Evans, Earl Blumenauer, Gregory Meeks, Joseph Crowley, Dennis Cardoza, Ed Case, Henry Cuellar, Norman Dicks, Rahm Emanuel, Anna Eshoo, Ruben Hinojosa, Jim Moran, Adam Smith and Jim Leach.
Meanwhile, the 8 senators include Max Baucus, Richard Green “Dick” Lugar and John McCain John Kerry and four others the news source said.
Significantly, he stressed that "I will work hard to secure passage of this legislation by the August recess." If Vietnam does not receive the nod from the US congress before this August, the country would not be able join the World Trade Organization (WTO) this year because the US congress will hold an election after the summer vacation in August.
However an industry group representing the textile and garment sector in the US fiercely opposed the bill, they said it would severely damage the sector in the country and also destroy tens of thousands of jobs.
The groups called on the US government to demand what they called adequate textile safeguards before Vietnam joins the WTO.
In contrast, the Agriculture Coalition for US-Vietnam Trade, which includes the National Pork Producers Council and 30 other organizations, has sent a letter to Congress urging lawmakers to approve Permanent Normal Trade Relations with Vietnam so that US agriculture can benefit from the Southeast Asian nation’s accession to the World Trade Organization.
Vietnam and the US wrapped up negotiations on Vietnam’s bid to join the Geneva-based trade body on May 31.
After which, Vietnam quickly started a hurried lobby campaign to gain support for the PNTR bill from the US congress.
A senior diplomat announced earlier that the Vietnamese Government will hold a number of meetings with the US law making agency and also the government this month.
The People, Labour, Youth
Vietnamese
