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Tariffs. The Protecting American Autoworkers from China Act (S. 3831, introduced Feb. 28 by Sen. Hawley, R-Mo.) would (1) increase the base tariff rate on automobiles imported from China to 100 percent and (2) apply this higher tariff to all imported automobiles manufactured by Chinese automakers regardless of where they are made.
Textiles. Dozens of members of Congress wrote to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas Feb. 28 applauding his decision to “construct and institute a comprehensive textile sector enforcement plan within 30 days.” The lawmakers urged Mayorkas to ensure this plan “has teeth” to address problems like “abuse of the Section 321 de minimis tariff waiver system, circumvention of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, Section 301 penalty tariffs and other trade enforcement measures, and false origin claims under U.S. free trade agreements.” They also called on him to deploy the plan “expeditiously.”
Biotech. Sens. Mark Warner, D-Va., and Marco Rubio, R-Fla., urged Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo in a Feb. 28 letter to implement an export control regime specifically targeting the biotechnology sector and to impose controls on the sharing of U.S. data. The senators explained that China “has openly revealed its intentions to utilize biotechnology to advance its military capabilities and ambitions, undermine U.S. security, and continue its egregious violations of human rights.”
Exports. The Protecting American Households from Rising Energy Costs Act (S. 3828, introduced Feb. 28 by Sen. Merkley, D-Ore.) would prohibit the export of liquefied natural gas and petroleum products to China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea.
The LNG Security Act (S. 3829, introduced Feb. 28 by Sen. Barrasso, R-Wyo.), would reverse a Biden administration pause on new approvals of LNG exports and require the Department of Energy to approve such exports to all countries that have imported, currently import, or are capable of importing Russian or Iranian natural gas.
Manufacturing. Reps. Dingell, D-Mich., and Khanna, D-Calif., announced Feb. 22 the Made in the USA Tax Credit Act, which they said would (1) create a refundable tax credit of up to $2,500 ($5,000 for couples filing jointly) for purchases of products meeting the Federal Trade Commission’s “Made in the USA” standard, (2) adjust the maximum amount of the credit for inflation each year, and (3) exclude luxury goods, tobacco products, firearms, vehicles, fuel, services, food and non-depreciable property from qualifying for this tax credit.
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