The Senate Commerce Committee is expected to take up a bill next week that would direct the Department of Commerce to work with the private sector to identify vulnerabilities in supply chains for critical goods, monitor supply chains in those industries, and identify ways that a supply-chain shock could affect manufacturing.
Freshman Rep. Riley Moore, R-W.Va., introduced a bill called the U.S. Reciprocal Trade Act with eight other House Republicans, a proposal first introduced by former Rep. Sean Duffy, R-Wis., in 2019 (see 1901160012) along with a Senate companion bill by Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and former Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia (see 1908090034).
Rep. Greg Murphy, R-N.C., reintroduced a bill to disallow the use of de minimis entry for packages that include goods subject to Section 301 tariffs. The bill passed the House Ways and Means Committee in 2024 (see 2404180068). Murphy said in a Jan. 28 news release that two-thirds of de minimis imports are from China. "By updating our De Minimis law, we are creating a fairer playing field for American businesses to compete and ending abuse by Chinese companies," he said.
A bipartisan bill was introduced this week in the Senate that asks the Commerce Department to study the national security risks posed by routers and modems designed, manufactured or sold by Chinese companies. Similar to the connected vehicles rule, a determination that these products imperil national security could result in a ban on their import, even if the products were built in Vietnam, Malaysia or other countries.
The Senate voted 68-29 late Jan. 27 to confirm hedge fund manager Scott Bessent as treasury secretary.
A bipartisan bill has been introduced in the House that would require that the minimum tariff charged on Chinese goods be 35%, that tariffs higher than 35% in Column 2 of HTS be applied to some Chinese imports, 100% tariffs on hundreds of items on the Section 301 target list, and that the bound rates for U.S. tariffs, as declared at the World Trade Organization, should be changed to Column 2 for all countries.
The chairman of the House Select Committee on China said Jan. 22 that the U.S. should take a harder line against China's aggressive policies on trade, investment and other matters.
Three Senate Democrats have introduced a bill to remove the president's ability to impose tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, a companion bill to one introduced in the House, which also only had Democratic sponsors (see 2501160069).
Two Democrats on the Senate Finance Committee asked Commerce Secretary nominee Howard Lutnick and U.S. Trade Representative nominee Jamieson Greer to "commit to putting in place a transparent and objective process that protects America’s small businesses and workers" if they decide to grant exclusions to new tariffs imposed by Donald Trump.
Rep. Jared Golden, D-Maine, has reintroduced a bill to impose a blanket 10% additional tariff on all imports, in line with President-elect Donald Trump's campaign promises.