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A bill to clarify the country of origin of certain articles imported into the United States for purposes of certain trade enforcement actions.
1/22/2025, 11:56 AM
Summary of Bill S 172
The main goal of this legislation is to ensure that the country of origin of imported articles is accurately identified and verified. This is important for trade enforcement actions, as the country of origin can determine the application of tariffs, quotas, and other trade measures. By clarifying the country of origin of these articles, the bill aims to prevent any potential misclassification or misrepresentation that could lead to unfair trade practices.
The bill emphasizes the importance of transparency and accuracy in determining the country of origin of imported articles. It seeks to strengthen trade enforcement measures by providing clear guidelines for identifying the origin of these articles. This will help to ensure that trade regulations are properly enforced and that all parties involved in trade transactions are held accountable for accurately reporting the country of origin of their products. Overall, Bill 119 s 172 is aimed at promoting fair and transparent trade practices by clarifying the country of origin of certain imported articles in the United States. It seeks to enhance trade enforcement actions by providing clear guidelines for identifying the origin of these articles, ultimately benefiting both consumers and businesses involved in international trade.
Congressional Summary of S 172
Stopping Adversarial Tariff Evasion Act
This bill expands the applicability of certain trade enforcement actions to goods from entities (e.g., businesses) that are owned, controlled, directed, or operated by a foreign adversary (i.e., China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, Cuba, and the Maduro regime of Venezuela). The bill applies to an entity for which, on any date during the most recent 12-month period, at least 25% of the equity interests in such entity are held directly or indirectly by one or more foreign adversary parties.
Currently, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative may take certain enforcement actions under trade agreements or in response to certain unfair foreign trade practices (Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974), and the President may take certain actions after a determination of import injury (Section 203 of the Trade Act of 1974) or to safeguard national security (Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962).
This bill applies these enforcement actions to any good that is produced, manufactured, or that underwent final assembly by a foreign adversary party or an entity owned, controlled, directed, or operated by a foreign adversary party, as if the good originated in the foreign adversary country. Therefore, these enforcement actions shall apply to goods from companies that are based in other countries and are tied to foreign adversaries. (For example, additional tariffs may be imposed on goods from a Chinese manufacturer that are produced in Vietnam.)
