US lawmaker introduces legislation to revoke China’s trade status
Proposal by chair of House panel on China would set minimum tariffs on Chinese imports but is unlikely to pass this congressional session
US Representative John Moolenaar on Thursday introduced a bill that would revoke the normal trade relations Washington has had with Beijing for more than two decades, joining China hawks in the Senate in a bid to decouple the countries’ economies.
As proposed, the measure would set minimum 35 per cent tariffs on Chinese imports, allow for the duties to rise to 100 per cent and give the US president the ability to phase the change in over five years. Moolenaar, a Republican from Michigan, chairs the US House Select Committee on Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
“Having permanent normal trade relations with China has failed our country, eroded our manufacturing base and sent jobs to our foremost adversary,” Moolenaar said. “The CCP has taken advantage of our markets and betrayed the hopes of freedom and fair competition that were expected when its authoritarian regime was granted permanent normal trade relations.”
Permanent normal trade relations (PNTR) status was passed by Congress and signed into law by then president Bill Clinton in 2000, allowing the two sides to align their trade relationship with the rules of the World Trade Organization (WTO), which China acceded to a few months later.
US Senators Tom Cotton of Arkansas, Marco Rubio of Florida and Missouri’s Josh Hawley, all Republicans, introduced a similar bill in September.
