Trade Restricted in United States

Waived: Trade Restricted in the History of U.S. Economic Sanctions Imposed against China

Date of the sanction(s): MAY 28, 1993

President Clinton extended the waiver authority to renew MFN status for China on May 28, 1993. At the same time, he issued an executive order requesting the Secretary of State to assess whether renewal in 1994 would substantially promote freedom of emigration in China, and whether China was complying with a United States-China agreement signed in 1992 concerning the use of prison labor. The President further linked the 1994 renewal of MFN for China to Beijing’s adherence to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, release of those detained in connection with the Democracy Wall and Tiananmen Square actions of 1989, general prisoner treatment, protection of Tibet’s religious and cultural heritage, and admission into China of international radio and television broadcasts.

Some Observations

One year later, in the course of considering and extending China’s MFN into 1995, the President delinked the issue of human rights from trade [43].

Sanctions by Authority:

Executive Order 12850, May 28, 1993 (58 F.R. 31327)

Occasion(s) Detailed

See September 1, 1951, for original sanction ; see also February 1, 1980, for current sanction ; see also May 28, 1994, for continued waiver of sanction

Note: Based on the China: U.S. Economic Sanctions Report.

Resources

Notes and References

1. 43 U.S. President, 1993- (Clinton). “President’s News Conference, May 26, 1994.” Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents, v. 30, May 26, 1994. p.1167. See also sense of the Senate in Sec. 513 of the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 1994 and 1995 [P.L. 103-236; 108 Stat. 466].