Arlington, VA – 11/16/2012 – The following statement can be attributed to Gary Shapiro, president and CEO, Consumer Electronics Association (CEA)^®, following the vote in the House of Representatives to repeal the Jackson-Vanik Amendment to establish permanent normal trade relations (PNTR) with Russia:

            “CEA congratulates the House for its bipartisan support of this important piece of trade legislation, which will drive new exports and create economic opportunities between the United States and Russia. Without the normalized trade relations, U.S. companies have been at a significant disadvantage since Russia joined the World Trade Organization earlier this year. Passage of this bill will provide American companies better market assuredness through enforcement tools in intellectual property rights and help them compete to meet Russia’s growing consumer class. CEA urges the Senate to act swiftly to pass this important job-creating legislation.”