Senate Finance Committee Chairman Charles Grassley has said that the US Administration officials are holding discussions with congressional leaders on ways that a bill extending permanent normal trade relations (PNTR) status to Viet Nam can be approved by Congress before it adjourns this month.

The Senator was quoted by the “Inside US Trade” newspaper as saying on that the discussions would take place within the next few days.

US Trade Representative Susan Schwab is scheduled to meet with members of the House and Senate at a Sept. 27 meeting of the Congressional Oversight Group, according to congressional sources. They said they expected a review of a range of trade issues to take place, including the approval of PNTR for Viet Nam.

Sources said that the White House had stepped up its efforts to have the bill granting PNTR for Viet Nam passed before US President George W. Bush’s visit to Hanoi in mid-November.

Conversations between the administration and congressional leaders on Viet Nam also took place two weeks ago but failed to reach a solution on the quick passage of the legislation, Senator Grassley said.

Committee trade staff last week did not rule out the possibility that the Viet Nam bill could still be passed before House adjourns later this month.

Source: VNA