Laos: Background and U.S. Relations (CRS Report for Congress)
| Release Date |
Revised Feb. 5, 2007 |
| Report Number |
RS20931 |
| Report Type |
Report |
| Authors |
Thomas Lum, Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division |
| Source Agency |
Congressional Research Service |
| Older Revisions |
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Summary:
Until November 2004, when Congress passed legislation extending nondiscriminatory treatment to the products of Laos, the Southeast Asian nation remained one of the few countries with which the United States did not have normal trade relations (NTR). The debate in Congress over whether to grant NTR status to Laos was long influenced by the legacy of U.S. military involvement in Laos during the Vietnam War and by allegations of serious human rights abuses in the country, particularly against the Hmong ethnic minority. Despite strained bilateral relations, the United States and Laos have cooperated in important areas, including recovering remains of Americans missing in action (MIAs) and counter-narcotics efforts. On November 19, 2004, Congress passed the Miscellaneous Trade and Technical Corrections Act of 2004 (H.R. 1047), which granted normal trade relations treatment to Laos.
