To authorize the extension of nondiscriminatory treatment (normal trade relations treatment) to the products of Kazakhstan.
Sponsors
Legislative Progress
IntroducedMr. Panetta (for himself, Mr. Aderholt, Mr. LaHood, Mr. Bera, …
Summary
What This Bill Does
This bill grants permanent normal trade relations (PNTR) to Kazakhstan by removing annual Congressional review requirements. Currently, Kazakhstan's trade status with the United States requires yearly evaluation of whether it allows freedom of emigration for its citizens. The bill authorizes the President to end this annual review process and establish permanent normal trade relations.
Who Benefits and How
US companies that export goods to Kazakhstan benefit by gaining more predictable and stable trade rules, eliminating uncertainty from annual reviews. US companies that import from Kazakhstan—particularly those importing oil, natural gas, minerals, and metals—benefit by avoiding potential trade disruptions and enjoying lower costs from streamlined trade procedures. Kazakh exporters gain easier access to the US market without the threat of annual status changes.
Who Bears the Burden and How
Human rights advocacy groups lose their annual opportunity to leverage trade policy as a tool for monitoring emigration rights and pressuring Kazakhstan on human rights issues. Labor unions concerned about trade liberalization face reduced ability to challenge Kazakhstan's trade status each year. While the bill itself imposes no direct costs on US taxpayers, these groups lose procedural leverage that existed under the annual review system.
Key Provisions
- Authorizes the President to determine that Title IV of the Trade Act of 1974 (which requires emigration freedom reviews) should no longer apply to Kazakhstan
- Allows the President to proclaim permanent normal trade relations treatment for Kazakh products after making this determination
- Terminates the annual review requirement that has existed since 1992, based on Congressional findings that Kazakhstan has complied with emigration freedom requirements since 1997
- Recognizes Kazakhstan's WTO membership since 2015 and bilateral investment treaty with the US since 1994 as justifications for the change
Evidence Chain:
This summary is derived from the structured analysis below. See "Detailed Analysis" for per-title beneficiaries/burden bearers with clause-level evidence links.
Primary Purpose
Authorizes permanent normal trade relations (PNTR) with Kazakhstan by removing Title IV restrictions from the Trade Act of 1974
Policy Domains
Legislative Strategy
"Modernize trade relationship with Kazakhstan by granting permanent normal trade relations status, removing annual review requirements"
Likely Beneficiaries
- US companies exporting to Kazakhstan
- US companies importing from Kazakhstan
- Kazakh exporters to US
- International trade facilitation services
Likely Burden Bearers
- Human rights advocacy groups (lose annual review leverage)
- Labor unions concerned about trade liberalization
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
- "congress"
- → United States Congress
- "the_president"
- → President of the United States
Key Definitions
Terms defined in this bill
Provisions related to freedom of emigration requirements for trade relations (19 U.S.C. 2431 et seq.)
Normal trade relations treatment as defined in the Trade Act of 1974
We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.
Learn more about our methodology