WASHINGTON (AP) — A Russian trade and human rights bill cleared Congress and headed for President Barack Obama’s signature Thursday, opening up new export opportunities for American businesses but antagonizing relations with Russia over its treatment of dissidents.

The Moscow government, while welcoming better trade relations, threatened retaliation over a section of the bill that would punish Russian officials who allegedly commit human rights violations. A Russian parliament official suggested sanctions could be imposed on U.S. officials accused of rights violations in Afghanistan, Iraq and elsewhere.

Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., a main sponsor of the human rights measure with Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md., contended it was pro-Russian in that it would help the Russian people and was “sending a signal to Vladimir Putin and the Russian plutocracy that these kinds of abuses of human rights will not be tolerated.”

The 92-4 vote by the Senate to establish permanent normal trade relations with Russia followed an equally convincing vote in the House last month. The bill eliminates a long-obsolete 1974 provision, called the Jackson-Vanik Amendment, that tied trade relations with the former Soviet Union to the emigration of Jews and other Soviet minorities.

The White House says it strongly supports the bill, which also extends permanent normal trade relations to the former Soviet state of Moldova.

Although Obama and former presidents over the past two decades annually have waived the Jackson-Vanik restrictions, it has lingered on the books because of congressional antipathy toward Russia’s human rights record and anti-American policies. This year the issues have included Russian support of the Assad government in Syria.

But acting to eliminate the 1974 provision and making normal relations permanent became a necessity when Russia on Aug. 22 entered the World Trade Organization, forcing it to lower tariffs, ease import restrictions, protect intellectual property and participate in the WTO dispute resolution system.

Until the United States normalizes trade, U.S. traders will be alone among the members of the 157-nation WTO unable to enjoy the increased market access.

The administration and economists estimate that U.S. exports of goods and services, now about $11 billion a year, could double over the next five years if trade is normalized. But if Congress fails to act, U.S. exporters stand to fall further behind other countries in the race to gain market share in Russia.