The Senate on Thursday passed a measure to suspend normal trade relations with Moscow, giving President Biden broader leeway to slap tariffs on Russian products and further weaken Russia’s economy as punishment for invading Ukraine.
The bill revokes Russia’s permanent normal trade relations (PNTR) status and is part of broad trade restrictions imposed in coordination with the European Union and Group of Seven countries.
A similar measure sailed through the House last month, passing 424-8, before hitting snags in the Senate over a Republican push to combine the bill revoking Russia’s trade status with a separate House-passed measure to codify the Russian oil ban, which Mr. Biden already imposed through executive order.
The Senate unanimously passed both measures separately on Thursday.
“No nation whose military is committing war crimes deserves free trade status with the United States,” Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer, New York Democrat, said moments before the vote.
The Senate’s final vote was also tied up by objections from Sen. Rand Paul, Kentucky Republican, over language in the bill that he said gives the president overly broad sanctions authority under the Global Magnitsky Act.
The Magnitsky Act is a law passed in 2016 to crack down on human-rights abuses.
The House is expected to pass a final measure incorporating Senate revisions later Thursday.
The U.S. has taken steps to ban Russian energy imports, including oil and liquified natural gas, along with other goods such as seafood and alcohol.
On Wednesday, Mr. Biden announced a new round of sanctions against Russia that targeted the adult children of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The new sanctions were levied after evidence of Russian war crimes surfaced in Bucha, near Ukraine’s capital Kyiv.
More than 600 Russian individuals and businesses have been hit with sanctions since the war began, the White House said.
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The measure targeting Russia’s trade relations status would slap increased tariffs on Russian goods ranging from enriched uranium to crabs.
According to U.S. trade data, Russian imports accounted for approximately 1% of imported foreign goods in 2021. Still, certain U.S. industries could be heavily impacted.
“For example, in 2021, certain titanium products (used by the aerospace industry) accounted for roughly 53% of total U.S. imports of similar products,” a Congressional Research Services report said. “Without PNTR, the duty rate for these products would increase from 15% to 45%. Based on the 2021 dutiable value of those products, U.S. importers would pay an additional $32.4 million in duties.”
• This story includes wire reports.
• Joseph Clark can be reached at jclark@washingtontimes.com.
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