US Federal 2025-2026 Regular Session

US Federal Senate Bill SB206

Introduced
1/23/25  

Caption

Restoring Trade Fairness ActThis bill establishes various trade measures related to China, including by revoking China's permanent normal trade relations (PNTR) status and increasing the rates of duty (i.e., tariffs) on Chinese imported goods. The bill prohibits imported goods originating from North Korea, China, Russia, or Iran from receiving de minimis treatment. (Current law allows for U.S. imports under a de minimis threshold of $800 per shipment to enter free of tariffs, fees, and taxes.)Specifically, the bill revokes China's PNTR status. Currently, China's PNTR status allows for Chinese goods to have duty rates set forth in column 1 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTS). With the removal of China's PNTR status, the bill generally sets the applicable duty rates on imported Chinese goods at the higher rates listed in column 2 of the HTS, with exceptions.The bill establishes a minimum duty rate of 35% for all Chinese goods, which requires column 2 rates to be at least 35%. However, the bill establishes a minimum duty rate of 100% for a list of specified goods (e.g., various minerals, certain vaccines and drugs, and certain defense-related articles). Duty rates are phased in over five years and adjusted annually for inflation.The bill alsoauthorizes the President to take additional actions related to trade with China, requires merchandise imported from China to be appraised based on U.S. value, and establishes a trust fund to compensate U.S. producers for lost revenue resulting from retaliatory actions by China.

Impact

If enacted, SB206 will have a substantial impact on existing trade regulations. The bill stipulates that certain rates of duty will be set at a minimum of 100% ad valorem for specific products, affecting a wide range of imports. The legislation empowers the President to further modify these duties if deemed necessary to counteract the United States' reliance on Chinese imports or to address unfair trade practices. Moreover, it includes provisions for annual adjustments to reflect inflation and establishes a trust fund to compensate U.S. producers affected by retaliatory actions taken by China.

Summary

SB206, titled the 'Restoring Trade Fairness Act', proposes to suspend normal trade relations with the People's Republic of China and to significantly raise the rates of duty for articles imported from China. This Act aims to address concerns over unfair trading practices, promote national security, and encourage a more favorable trade balance by imposing stricter tariffs on imports from China, which has been a long-standing target of U.S. trade policies due to perceived economic aggressions.

Contention

Notable points of contention surround the potential economic ramifications of the proposed trade policies. Proponents argue that such measures are critical to curtailing China’s impact on U.S. industry and protecting national interests. However, opponents express concern regarding the adverse effects on prices for consumers, the feasibility of sourcing alternative suppliers, and the risk of escalating trade wars. Additionally, agricultural sectors fear significant losses due to the potential for retaliatory tariffs on American exports to China.

Congress_id

119-S-206

Policy_area

Foreign Trade and International Finance

Introduced_date

2025-01-23

Companion Bills

US HB694

Identical bill Restoring Trade Fairness ActThis bill establishes various trade measures related to China, including by revoking China's permanent normal trade relations (PNTR) status and increasing the rates of duty (i.e., tariffs) on Chinese imported goods. The bill prohibits imported goods originating from North Korea, China, Russia, or Iran from receiving de minimis treatment. (Current law allows for U.S. imports under a de minimis threshold of $800 per shipment to enter free of tariffs, fees, and taxes.)Specifically, the bill revokes China's PNTR status. Currently, China's PNTR status allows for Chinese goods to have duty rates set forth in column 1 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTS). With the removal of China's PNTR status, the bill generally sets the applicable duty rates on imported Chinese goods at the higher rates listed in column 2 of the HTS, with exceptions.The bill establishes a minimum duty rate of 35% for all Chinese goods, which requires column 2 rates to be at least 35%. However, the bill establishes a minimum duty rate of 100% for a list of specified goods (e.g., various minerals, certain vaccines and drugs, and certain defense-related articles). Duty rates are phased in over five years and adjusted annually for inflation.The bill alsoauthorizes the President to take additional actions related to trade with China, requires merchandise imported from China to be appraised based on U.S. value, and establishes a trust fund to compensate U.S. producers for lost revenue resulting from retaliatory actions by China.

Previously Filed As

US HB694

Restoring Trade Fairness ActThis bill establishes various trade measures related to China, including by revoking China's permanent normal trade relations (PNTR) status and increasing the rates of duty (i.e., tariffs) on Chinese imported goods. The bill prohibits imported goods originating from North Korea, China, Russia, or Iran from receiving de minimis treatment. (Current law allows for U.S. imports under a de minimis threshold of $800 per shipment to enter free of tariffs, fees, and taxes.)Specifically, the bill revokes China's PNTR status. Currently, China's PNTR status allows for Chinese goods to have duty rates set forth in column 1 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTS). With the removal of China's PNTR status, the bill generally sets the applicable duty rates on imported Chinese goods at the higher rates listed in column 2 of the HTS, with exceptions.The bill establishes a minimum duty rate of 35% for all Chinese goods, which requires column 2 rates to be at least 35%. However, the bill establishes a minimum duty rate of 100% for a list of specified goods (e.g., various minerals, certain vaccines and drugs, and certain defense-related articles). Duty rates are phased in over five years and adjusted annually for inflation.The bill alsoauthorizes the President to take additional actions related to trade with China, requires merchandise imported from China to be appraised based on U.S. value, and establishes a trust fund to compensate U.S. producers for lost revenue resulting from retaliatory actions by China.

US HB505

This bill directs the President to impose additional duties (i.e., tariffs) on all imports entering the United States.Specifically, the President must impose an additional 10% duty on all imports entering the United States. Additionally, the bill directs the President to increase this duty on imported goods by an additional 5% if the United States has a deficit in the trade of goods and services generally for the immediately preceding calendar year. If the United States has a balance or surplus in the trade of goods and services, then the President must decrease the duty by 5% (except the imposed duty shall not be reduced below $0).

US SB151

Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes on Imported Goods Act of 2025This bill prohibits the President from exercising authorities under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to impose or increase duties or impose tariff-rate quotas on imports entering the United States. However, this limitation does not prohibit the President from excluding all articles, or all of a certain type of article, imported from a country from entering the United States. (IEEPA provides the President with broad authority to regulate various economic transactions following a declaration of a national emergency.)

US HB256

Save America’s Valuable Energy Act or the SAVE ActThis bill directs the Department of Energy to prohibit the sale of petroleum products (e.g., crude oil) from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to entities headquartered in Russia, Belarus, Burma, China, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Syria, or Venezuela.

US HB386

Chinese Currency Accountability Act of 2025This bill requires the United States to oppose, absent specified conditions, any increase in the weight of Chinese currency (i.e., the renminbi) in the basket of currencies (currently, a set of five currencies, each with different weightings) used to determine the value of Special Drawing Rights. Special Drawing Rights are international reserve assets created by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to supplement member countries' official foreign exchange reserves.Specifically, the Department of the Treasury must instruct certain U.S. officials at the IMF to oppose any such increase unless Treasury has certified that China is in compliance with certain standards and international agreements, including that (1) China is in compliance with all general obligations of members of the IMF, (2) China has not been found to have manipulated its currency in the preceding 12 months, and (3) China adheres to the rules and principles of the Paris Club and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Arrangement on Officially Supported Export Credits. 

US HB422

No Subsidies for Wealthy Universities ActThis bill limits the indirect costs that are allowable under federal research awards to institutions of higher education (IHEs) with endowments above specified thresholds. (Generally, indirect costs represent expenses that are not specific to a research project but are needed to maintain the infrastructure and administrative support for federally funded research.)Specifically, the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) must annually collect information regarding the endowments of each IHE that has entered into a program participation agreement with the Department of Education.With this collected information, NCES must identify and make lists of (1) each IHE with an endowment of more than $5 billion, and (2) each IHE with an endowment of more than $2 billion (but not more than $5 billion). NCES must submit these lists to the Office of Management and Budget, which must then distribute the lists to federal agencies, Congress, and the public.The bill establishes the following limits on the indirect costs allowable under federal research awards:for an IHE with an endowment of more than $5 billion, the IHE is prohibited from using these awards for indirect costs;for an IHE with an endowment of more than $2 billion (but not more than $5 billion), the IHE is limited to an indirect cost rate of 8%; andfor all other IHEs, an indirect cost rate of 15%.The Government Accountability Office must annually report to Congress on indirect cost reimbursement on federal research awards for IHEs.

US A09031

Prohibits the sale or lease of any property in the state to the People's Republic of China or the Chinese communist party.

US S08490

Prohibits the sale or lease of any property in the state to the People's Republic of China or the Chinese communist party.

US HB700

Maintaining Academy Culture and Assuring Retention of Tradition, Honor, and Unity of the Republic Act or the MACARTHUR ActThis bill requires the Department of the Army to amend the mission statement of the United States Military Academy to include the phrase “Duty, Honor, Country.”

US HB236

Federal Employee Return to Work ActThis bill prohibits providing certain annual or locality-based pay increases to teleworking federal employees.Currently, federal law mandates annual adjustments to General Schedule (GS) pay rates according to (1) a formula based on the annual percentage change in the Employment Cost Index (a measure of labor costs in the private sector); and (2) the difference between public and private sector pay rates in an employee's locality, if that difference exceeds 5%. For example, in 2025, the default annual rate of pay for a GS-7 (step 1) employee is $49,960; the adjusted annual rate of pay for a GS-7 (step 1) employee in the locality pay area that includes Washington, DC, is $57,164. The bill makes executive agency employees who telework at least one day each week (or, in the case of an alternative work schedule, 20% or more each week) ineligible for these payments.The bill is effective on the first day of the fiscal year beginning after the bill's enactment.  

Similar Bills

No similar bills found.