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The Honorable William J. Clinton
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20550

Dear Mr. President:

In 1997, your Export Council provided an extensive report in response to your request for a survey and recommendations regarding the use of foreign policy-based unilateral economic sanctions.

We were gratified to learn from Secretary Eizenstat's 1998 testimony on the Hamilton-Lugar bill to reform unilateral sanctions policies and processes that your Administration was expressing concurrence with the principal policy recommendations of our report. We are very concerned that disagreement between the Administration and the Congress over certain aspects of the bill might prevent adoption of these recommendations, which are designed to make the imposition of sanctions more disciplined and to lessen avoidable burdens on U.S. workers and economic interests.

We note that similar sanctions legislation has been introduced in this Congress. We do not believe it would be appropriate for the PEC to comment on the substance of the provisions of this legislation. We suggest, however, if the Administration proceeded immediately with the improvements supported in Secretary Eizenstat's testimony, the Congress might be encouraged to follow the example. The need for Executive Branch improvements far outweighs any possible impact that inaction may have on this very uncertain legislative process. We believe that your leadership can have a very positive effect on the resolution of such matters.

Sincerely,

C. Michael Armstrong
Chairman

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