The following statement can be attributed to Gary Shapiro, president and CEO, Consumer Electronics Association (CEA)^®, following the vote in the Senate to remove Russia from the Jackson-Vanik Amendment in order to establish permanent normal trade relations with Russia:

“CEA congratulates the Senate for its bipartisan support of this important piece of trade legislation, which will create economic opportunities between the United States and Russia. Without normalized trade relations, U.S. companies have been at a significant disadvantage since Russia joined the World Trade Organization earlier this year. Normalized trade relations with Russia, the ninth largest economy in the world, will open markets to American businesses, allowing them to compete and meet the demands of the growing consumer class of Russia, while helping create more jobs on the home front. CEA urges the president to sign this important job-creating legislation without delay.”

About CEA:

The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) is the preeminent trade association promoting growth in the $206 billion U.S. consumer electronics industry. More than 2,000 companies enjoy the benefits of CEA membership, including legislative advocacy, market research, technical training and education, industry promotion, standards development and the fostering of business and strategic relationships. CEA also owns and produces the International CES – The Global Stage for Innovation. All profits from CES are reinvested into CEA’s industry services. Find CEA online at www.CE.org [1], www.DeclareInnovation.com [2] and through social media: https://www.facebook.com/#!/CEAfeed [3], http://twitter.com/ceafeed [4], http://blog.ce.org/ [5].

UPCOMING EVENTS

• 2013 International CES
  January 8-11, 2013, Las Vegas, NV