From: mdo@socrates.umd.edu ("Mike T. Do")
Subject: [NEWS] US Loosens Its Embargo On Vietnam
Newsgroups: soc.culture.vietnamese
Date: 16 Dec 92 00:49:40 GMT

U.S. Lossens Its Embargo On Vietnam
The Wall Street Journal (12/15/92)
By Robert S. Greenberger
Staff Reporter of Wall Street Journal

WASHINGTON-The Bush administration loosened the trade embargo on Vietnam as a
reward for its recent cooperation in the effort to account for missing
servicemen who fought there two decades ago.
    But it may be left to the Clinton administration to take the major step
of actually lifting the embargo, which was imposed in 1975.  "I don't think
we're particularly gearing up at this point to make the next step," a U.S.
official said.
    The White House announced that, effective immediately, it will permit
U.S. companies to sign contracts with Vietnam that would go into effect after
the embargo is lifted.  The U.S. also will allow companies to begin
positioning themselves to do business in Vietnam by taking such actions as
opening offices there, hiring staff and conducting marketing and feasibility
studies.
    The White House said that in order to carry out these activities, U.S.
companies to apply to the Treasury for an exception from the embargo.  This
will be necessary because these actions would involve expending funds in
Vietnam, which is barred by the embargo.  However, a U.S. official said that
nearly all companies would be granted this exception.
    But, the White House added in a statement, "Other than these actions,
the embargo with Vietnam remains in effect."
    In an effort to prod Vietnam toward more cooperation, the statement said
that "we look to Vietnam to intensify efforts to achieve the fullest possible
accounting" of missing Americans, including "the rapid repatriation of all
recovered and readily recoverable American remains."
    Vietnamese officials have told U.S. investigators that their cooperation
was being stymied by some private Vietnamese citizens, who were holding
remains in the hope of selling them.  In yesterday's announcement, the White
House noted "Hanoi's recent call for Vietnamese citizens to turn in any
American remains they may possess."
    After years of stonewalling, Vietnam in the summer began to permit
information about missing servicemen to begin dribbling out.  In October,
Hanoi took a major step by promising publicly to give American investigators
full access to evidence, including thousands of photographs.  Recently, Sen.
John Kerry, chairman of a special Senate committee investigating the fate of
missing U.S. servicemen, led a trip to Vietnam and received unusual
cooperation from Hanoi.  The Massachusetts Democrat's group received access
to all places in Vietnam they asked to visit, including some areas that were
previously off limit to U.S. visitors.
    In a news conference after his trip, Sen. Kerry urged the administration
plan, known as the "roadmap," which lays out incremental steps the U.S. would
take in response to Vietnamese actions.  The administration said that "as
further results in accounting for missing Americans are obtained, we are
prepared to consider additional 'roadmap' steps of our own."
    The embargo has been honored by U.S. allies, but in recent years, there
has been mounting pressure from Japan and European nations to resume normal
relations with Hanoi.  When the U.S. does lift the embargo, it will give the
International Monetary Fund and other global lending institutions the green
light to resume lending to Vietnam, which badly needs capital to rebuild its
economy.