As bilateral trade talks between Central Asian countries and the US continue following President Trump’s tariff announcements, regional countries are increasingly looking to not only renegotiate their trade ties with Washington, but are also hoping for the repeal of a major Cold War-era US trade restriction.

Introduced as an addition to the US Trade Act in 1974, the so-called Jackson-Vanik Amendment continues to block US companies from proper access to Central Asian resources, as well as regional countries from improved trade relations with the US. The potential repeal of the Amendment could provide a major boost to bilateral trade ties, particularly when it comes to the region’s rare earth materials, transport and logistics, agriculture and nuclear energy sectors.

Recent developments suggest that the Amendment’s repeal, an outcome advocated for by Central Asian countries for years, is increasingly gaining attention as the US is reassessing its engagement with Central Asia, particularly in view of China's growing regional influence. In January, then-Secretary of State nominee Marco Rubio claimed that the Amendment was “an absolute relic of the past”, while other US politicians have actively been advocating for its repeal. The Amendment’s repeal is also a key element in the US-Kazakhstan Trade Modernization Act, a bill recently tabled to the US Congress.

However, it is yet to be seen whether the US Congress would give its approval, while a potential repeal will also likely be tied to whether the Trump administration will strike agreements to avoid (or impose) increased tariffs on the countries of the region, as well as on other global players such as the EU and China.