US lawmakers urge repeal of Jackson-Vanik amendment for Kazakhstan

September 5, 2026 at 06:06 PM2 min

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Three of five experts at a US House Ways and Means Committee hearing backed repealing the Jackson-Vanik amendment for Kazakhstan and other eligible Central Asian states. Committee Chairman Jason Smith said regional partners view the Soviet-era measure as a barrier to deeper economic ties. The hearing highlighted bipartisan support for granting Kazakhstan permanent normal trade relations.

Key Facts

Three of five invited experts at the hearing explicitly supported repealing Jackson-Vanik restrictions for Kazakhstan and other eligible Central Asian states.
Committee Chairman Jason Smith said his recent meetings in Central Asia showed regional partners view the measure as a barrier to deeper economic ties.
Congressman Jimmy Panetta noted Kazakhstan has met Jackson-Vanik's freedom of emigration requirements since the 1990s.
Congresswoman Carol Miller called the amendment an outdated measure that holds back American investors.
Atlantic Council Eurasia Center Senior Director John Herbst urged Congress to repeal remaining Jackson-Vanik restrictions for Kazakhstan and other Central Asian countries.

Bipartisan Support for Repeal

Three of five invited experts directly supported repealing Jackson-Vanik restrictions for Kazakhstan and other eligible Central Asian states. One additional expert urged Congress to consider such a step. Representatives of both parties also supported the position. Committee Chairman Jason Smith stated that his recent meetings in Central Asia showed regional partners perceive the Soviet-era measure as an obstacle to deepening economic ties.

Expert Testimony

Atlantic Council Eurasia Center Senior Director John Herbst called on Congress to repeal the remaining Jackson-Vanik restrictions for Kazakhstan and other Central Asian countries. CSIS Senior Adviser Daniel Runde urged Congress to grant Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan permanent normal trade relations. Runde emphasized that Central Asian countries should not be forced to choose between Washington, Moscow, and Beijing. He described Jackson-Vanik as an outdated mechanism for regulating relations with countries that have been independent for 35 years and have long met the amendment's original freedom of emigration requirements.

Kazakhstan's Compliance Record

Congressman Jimmy Panetta noted that Jackson-Vanik continues to be applied to Kazakhstan even though the country has consistently met its freedom of emigration requirements since the 1990s. Panetta highlighted Kazakhstan's WTO membership and reforms under President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, including judicial and law enforcement changes and the introduction of a single seven-year presidential term. He presented Kazakhstan as a state that, despite constraints imposed by its geographic position, seeks closer relations with the United States. The Times of Central Asia reported that the hearings portrayed Kazakhstan as a state whose significance extends far beyond its role as a raw materials supplier.