The United States is prepared to support repealing the Jackson-Vanik amendment, a Cold War-era trade restriction that still applies to several Central Asian countries, provided the region takes steps to open its markets to American goods.

Speaking during a hearing before the US Senate Finance Committee, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said the administration would back repealing the amendment if Congress considers it a priority, The Caspian Post reports via TASS.

"If this is such an important issue for Congress, then I believe we would support it," Greer said in response to lawmakers' questions about the administration's position.

He stressed that Washington is focused on building trade ties with Central Asian nations based on the principle of reciprocity. Greer said that if the countries in the region improve market access for US products, the administration could support eliminating the remaining trade restrictions.

The Jackson-Vanik amendment, adopted in 1974, linked normal trade relations with the Soviet Union to the issue of Jewish emigration. After the collapse of the USSR, the amendment remained in force for several former Soviet republics.

The restrictions on Russia were lifted in 2012, when the United States replaced them with the Magnitsky Act, which authorizes sanctions against individuals accused by Washington of human rights violations.